Good Drawer

On Friday afternoons in sixth grade, we were allowed "free time" if we had finished all of our assignments. It was during this time that I made my first film: "Drac Comes Back." I also played a lot of chess. But the thing I remember most was the cartooning class I ran for two weeks. I had a reputation as "a good drawer" and some of my friends asked if I could teach them how. I remember standing at the blackboard, chalk in hand, making pictures on request while my "students" sat with their pencils laying on their desks.
"Can you draw it for me?" one of them whined.
"Draw it and I'll copy it," offered another.
Then came the one that still rings in my head, "I can't draw."
This was the voice of a twelve year old boy. From the first green crayon scribblings of preschool (that's a tree, right?) to the race cars and Barbie clothes designs of third grade, every child draws. Then something starts to seep in, and the approval of peers overwhelms the artistic urge. "What is that supposed to be?" You can hear the air coming out of the self esteem balloon in a rush.
"Of course you can draw. Everybody can."
"That's easy for you to say. Look at how cool that pig is that you drew."
Was I possessed of some secret talent that others didn't share? Not really. I had spent years drawing on the numerous stacks of paper samples that my father brought home from work, and feeling at home in my imagination. I could draw because I let myself.
"C'mon Dave, just draw me one pig."
"Okay, then you try to copy it."
And then drawing class was over. The next Friday there were only two people waiting. One of them had made a careful tracing of my original, and was working on a careful freehand line by line version. I asked my friends to picture something in their minds first and then draw it.
"Can't you draw another pig for us?"
I drew a dozen pigs that afternoon. I got a lot of compliments on what a good drawer I was. Then the class was over. My teacher asked if I wanted to teach again the next week. I told her that I guessed I had taught them all they needed to know.