I am a tree

I've started on the road to get a Masters in Education degree. It's an interdisciplinary degree, and my first year is Creativity in Educational Practice.

In our introduction course, which was just a week long and finished today, we learned about the fundamentals of creativity. We were also invited to experiment with our own creativity, so we could experience what our students go through when we ask them to be creative. We had two major projects: a personal metaphor, and a collaborative creative project.

I want to share my personal metaphor. Quite simply, I think I'll just post some photos and the explanation I read to the class as I shared today, and let that do the talking. If you have questions about the process, fire them my way!

Quotes that speak to me or help me define myself.

Oddly and Trotsky are near my tree.

I am a tree. I'm not an apple tree or an oak tree or a birch tree. I'm an idea tree. Here's how I work: I draw my nutrients not only from the prairie that surrounds me and is a part of who I am, but also from the many thoughts and inspirations that I draw to me.

My bark is black, grey, and white. The black absorbs ideas. The white shines them back to their thinker, illuminating the idea in a new light for them. The white is where the children reside. The grey is the most interesting, as there's a little of each - absorption and reflection - happening here. Ideas swirl, marinate, and evolve here.

My leaves are the colours of the rainbow. I am a colourful tree, not willing to blend into the background. My fruit are not edible, in the traditional sense. Worlds and words hang from my branches, and all the best ones, the ones that most resonate with me, are here. The people who wrote and said these words are wise, and their words hang here to show the importance of such things. Words are permanent, and can bring so much joy, insight, and meaning to the reader.

My branches shelter creatures. The birds sing their sweet songs, which reverberate through my branches and trunk, shaking me right to the core. Their music changes me, and makes me feel emotional and free. Creatures of all kinds are nurtured by me... they seek my shade and comfort, and also appreciate my generosity, taking my fruit when they need it.

There's also a quiet spot hidden in the centre of my branches. It's a spot no one ever sees, but it's there. It's a place of introspection and inner life. It's a thoughtful place. It's a lovely place.

I'm an idea tree, and I'm strong and grounded. I'm determined and I'm dependable. But most of all, I'm hopeful - when my fruit falls, and gets sent out there into the world, it's a beautiful thing!