What a Creative Week It Has Been

By Carol Woolum Roberts

I have come to realize that being a part of, or watching others create takes me to my “Happy Place”. And oh, what a happy week it has been.

It began with Paul and I attending the Kellogg High School drama performance of “Million Dollar Meatballs”.  One of our summer camp students was in it.  There were also some of Paul’s former KHS drama students from his last year of teaching in the show, and some students I had in after-school drama classes.  What a pleasant surprise to watch all these students perform.

Last week was our final weekend of “Laugh-In Out Loud” at the Sixth Street Theater. We experienced three weekends of fantastic audiences, a terrific cast, and a fun show to perform.  It is always bittersweet to come to the end of a show, especially when you truly love and enjoy the cast you are performing with each night.

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Last Saturday Paul and I also enjoyed watching one of our after-school students, Thayer, perform in “Red Riding Hood” the Missoula Children’s Theater production performed at the auditorium at Wallace Jr./Sr. High School.  He did such a great job as “The Woodsman” and the whole production was so great.

Monday I had the privilege of being one of the jurors for the 2023 High School Art Exhibition of the Silver Valley “No Place Like Home” featuring 77 artists from Kellogg, Wallace and Mullan.  What an incredible experience to see all the work these talented artists put into their art pieces.  The art pieces are hanging at one of Kellogg's restaurants, The Broken Wheel.  If you have a chance, go check out the incredible work these students created.

On Tuesday night, our current after school students put on a performance titled “Follow the Road to Creativity” at our church.  We had six students perform in a variety of ways.

Luci takes guitar lessons from Paul and she performed two numbers.

Fin takes a Musical Theater class from Paul and I, and he also performed two numbers, as well as two piano pieces.

Our four Exploring Creativity students were given a few assignments at the beginning of our Winter Session.

1. Paint a picture of a rainbow that has all seven colors of the rainbow, and add anything else you would like to the painting using acrylic paints on canvas.
2. Pick a musical instrument to play.
3. Become a Wizard of Oz character, learn lines, and perform a skit t and sing as well.
4. Figure out some things that symbolize your Wizard of Oz character, and draw and paint a picture (again with acrylic paints on canvas).

Each of our six students were amazing.  And the one thing that stuck out to me was how poised they were throughout the whole evening.  Our youngest students was a first graders, and our two older students were eighth graders.  Each student performed, stayed focused, and did what they were asked.  And I think they had fun as well!!

What an incredible opportunity Paul and I have to encourage creativity in these young people.  And to see them grow and gain confidence and learn new things.

What a happy, creative, joyful, incredible week it has been.

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As a young person, do you remember being encouraged in your creativity by an adult in your life?

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