North Wind and the Sun

[[North Wind and the Sun]] 

In Waldorf/Steiner schools, the story telling (fairy tales /. fables) is very important. Many of the teachers would even write their own.

Today, I would like to share one of my favorite stories with you with my addition at the end (in attempt to bring some sort of the resolution/redemption).
It is to do with the story of the North Wind and the Sun...and this is the way I remember the way my mother had told me (...and added some variation to it...). In other words, this may not be the version you know of...

Once upon a time, there were a North Wind and the Sun , and as energetic and proud as he was, the North Wind decided to challenge the Sun. "You are always smiling and content, so I want to challenge you."  The Sun kept smiling back. "You see over there...?" ..the North Wind pointed towards a man who was walking in the field , wearing a dark, long coat. "I want to challenge you that whom-ever can make him take off his coat shall be declared a winner!....so what say you?"  The Sun kept smiling...which upset the North Wind even more, so he swiftly went to work.... He blew and blew the most awesome, cold wind at this man hoping to blow his coat away from him. But the more the North Wind blew, the tighter he grasped the coat to the point that this man became like a frozen rock...one with the coat! Eventually, the North Wind stopped from exhaustion...."I give up!" said the North Wind exasperatedly.... Meanwhile, the Sun is still smiling....which irritated the North Wind even more and told the Sun...'"Let's see how you do it...that is if you can...????"
So, it came to be the Sun's turn. He just smiled and began to send out to this poor freezing man the most gentle warm ray filled with light. It not only warmed this man but gave birth to the flowers around him and the birds began to sing. Soon or later, this man was surrounded with the beauty and warmth.  Eventually,  it became too warm ...too hot to keep wearing the coat...so he gladly took off the coat with the smile in his face.
The Sun then turned to the North Wind....and he just smiled....
The North Wind was devastated..not just because he did lose...(he didn't care too much for that by then)...he was devastated of witnessing the true power of the Sun...its gentle, effortless quality that could disarm a man....the North Wind realized the Sun's supreme power....and felt that he was no match to the ability of the Sun.

(my addition)

He told the Sun...."I have lost, and I am lost. What's the use? I do not belong here...there is no place for me....everyone respects me but hates me!"
He was sad...for his best effort and his ability did not come to fruition.....and not appreciated.
The Sun kept smiling, and spoke to him gently..."Dear friend, lift your eyes and see. I cannot take the credit for giving warm, gentle rays, for had it been only me and my power, I would have burned this man's coat through and his surroundings. 
"It was she." ...pointing to the beautiful lady, Mother(Earth)... "It was her veil that embraced this man and his surrounding and  protected them from my rays. It was she who took her own veil off to shield off my rays partially so that my rays will not touch this man harshly...."  
The North Wind was touched. He was touched for her kindness, but also for the Sun's integrity and honesty....but inside of him was still sad....for he still did not feel that he belong to this environment. 
Then the gentle Sun added, "Dear friend, she need you now."
The North Wind looked up in wonder, for he could not understand what the sun was saying.

"She need you now because look at her shoulder..." as the Sun pointing to her red shoulder and continued, "Because she took off her veil to protect this man, she did receive my scorching ray fully and suffering from the burn. If you gently breathe out upon her, it will sooth her burn.. You see my friend, we all are necessary....we all have our places."

The North Wind smiled. :D

Abstract vs Abstraction

Abstract vs Abstraction

During the time spent teaching at the Waldorf high school, I have introduced the exercises of abstraction and also the abstract expression.

It was Piet Mondrian, who had differentiated the abstract art from other art forms resulting from abstraction.
I could relate to such differentiation, for abstraction is due to making of something which exist as a tangible form into more simpler form without losing the main characteristics of such form. It is the process of "reduction," so to speak. Many of Picasso's works may fall into this category. In other words, the abstraction art depends on the existence of the concrete form.

Abstract art, on the other hand, does not rely on the existence of an actual, concrete form. For example, an idea and/or one's feeling, can be expressed with color(s) and form(s).
What would an idea of "courage" look like if one were to paint it without depending on the scene of some heroic being fighting his/her enemies? How would one express the feeling of sadness or anxiety purely in color(s)?
In a way, pure abstract art may come close to the essence of what the artist wants to express. It is, indeed, the Socratic exercise.

Ironically for Mondrian, his process of arriving at his now famous pure geometrical forms may have been originated in the reduction/abstraction of the existing forms, say, the trees, for example.

"Checking In"

(Checking In)
 

The Thursday faculty meetings at the school (Shining Mountain Waldorf) I used to work, after I have joined the College of Teachers (the core faculty members), lasted about 6 to 7 hours. First, I would attend the High school meeting, and then I would go off to the all school meeting, and finally, I would attend the College of Teacher meeting. This last meeting may become longer if we had to meet with the Board of Trustees. We adopted the "Consensus decision -making" system, so that each one of us was responsible for our decision.

I've loved the High school meetings and the College of Teacher meetings. I cannot go into the details, but what I liked about these meetings is that we did the exercise called, "Checking In," in the beginning of each meeting.  

The faculty members were asked to share the mental/emotional state we were in that day (or that given moment) in the unique way, and we would go around answering.  The facilitator(s) would choose the metaphorical theme for that day and ask, for example, "What would your feeling(your mental state) be if your were to describe (express) it as the type of a flower?"  

I remember once, we've had to describe our feelings by referring to the lyrics from the classical rock music... and we had to sing the appropriate lines!
I like the fact that the creativity was actively incorporated into the otherwise "could be dry/cold" meetings. 

This may sound strange, but I miss those meetings from time to time even though some of the meetings were very intense!

So, how was your day like if you were to describe it as the shape of the cloud? ...mine?  It would be "Cirrocumulus cloud," high up in the atmosphere.