(32 of 40) Who Gets to Write?

http://www.mollyhashimoto.com/molly_hashimoto/

A really cool thing happened to me Saturday morning. I dropped by the library to check my on-line class and email, and, as I entered, I saw a flyer for a watercolor class taught by artist Molly Hashimoto (and sponsored by the Mukilteo branch of the Friends of the Library). I stopped in the lobby to read the flyer, and noticed people trickling into the meeting room. On the tables in the meeting room, I saw pieces of paper and cups of water and Prang watercolor sets. I checked the flyer to see the start time. Five minutes. Hmm, I thought. There it is again, watercolors.

(See my 9/30/11 and 10/4/11 posts for more about watercolors.)

I went into the library, found a computer station and logged on. I opened my email. I opened my on-line class. Then I thought, Bethany! Go take that class!

I stood up and walked to the room. I asked if there were spaces available and if I needed any supplies. There were spaces, and the supplies were provided.

I returned to the computer, logged out, grabbed my stuff, and joined the class. And not only did I get to play with watercolors for an hour and a half (the class was called something like "Using Watercolor to Create a Seasonal Journal"), but I noticed a number of correspondences between Hashimoto's teaching and my own.

1. At its most basic, writing is play.

2. Anyone can write.

3. Although some people are going to write all the time and become skilled, anyone can write and, with a little attention, be pretty happy with the result.

4. Writing doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment.
5. You can write outdoors.
6. Details make your work more personal.
7. If you let it, writing can teach you a lot about how to see the world.