Sculpting the visionary in all of us

I arrived on a quiet Tuesday afternoon to work on the puppet with my friend and colleague, Elizabeth, a professor at Schoolcraft College. No kids today, there was only the artist, Megan, leaning over the left hand of the giant clay puppet, immersed in its palm. She intently swished, slashed and smoothed the clay with her small sculpting tool. I was in awe of how confidently she removed chunks of clay around the thumb. “It looks like a real hand, Megan. How do you do that?” I pondered as I stared at the unfinished right hand awaiting me and Elizabeth on the other table.

I missed the kids’ energy and chattering. And yet it’s lovely to have an uninterrupted conversation with Elizabeth and Megan. We covered many topics, especially the need for children and adults to rediscovery their imagination, to just have the opportunity to dig into the clay without restrictions!

We asked for Megan’s guidance as we tried to sculpt the clay hand to resemble a real hand like the left one she’s completed.

With self-assurance, Megan instructed us to use our own hand as a model. She told us to hold up our right hand in front of the clay one and really see the twists, creases and open spaces. She reminded us not to rush. Then Megan told us to transfer what we see in our hand to what needs to be done to the puppet hand. I squinted, hoping to focus better.

She pointed to the space between the puppet’s thumb and pointer finger, “See, there is too much clay here. You’ve got to swipe away globs of clay around the thumb. Open it up.” We both gasped as she chunked out a huge piece of clay. She was right, all of a sudden a defined thumb appears. Slowly, with her encouragement, we timidly cut out a tiny bit of clay, and then more and more. And a more precise hand suddenly appears.

Later, while cleaning up, we comment that Megan has done with us what all great leaders do: she encouraged us to take risks and to envision a new possibility. That’s what visionary leaders, like Justin Dart, do - envision a new possibility. I thought of his famous greeting, “Lead On!” came from his deep understanding and sense that everyone can be an artist. Everyone deserves a sense of their own empowerment to create. Justin Dart wanted a new world that worked for all, and he was wasn’t afraid to dig his hands and heart into the clay to create it.

The creation of the Justin Dart puppet is being documented through this blog by Janice Fialka. Check back through June as she documents the birth of this giant puppet. If you want to come and help with the project, call Ken Srdjak at 313-967-0999.