I Know the River Loves Me
When we see ourselves reflected in our environment, something happens within us. We are calmed, soothed, validated in a way that has no thoughts or words. An osmotic communication that we are, we belong. So fundamental that it goes without saying, it is about being, being here now.
In the classroom, I have had the privilege of working with what I call the “stressed out” kids. Many of whom not only don’t see themselves in the white faces in the books at school or in the library, but sometimes not even in the few brown faces that exist. Their experiences are complicated and layered. Beyond their childhood awareness, their lives are rooted in the basic power dynamics of our culture that relate to race and economics and how those dynamics often affect communities and families. They are children, so they are brave and resilient and have taught me a great deal. And they have reminded me of many of my own lessons as a child and much of what my father taught me.
When I was asked to write and not just illustrate children’s books I was immediately drawn to share what sustained me as a child. In my first book, My Colors, My World/ Mis Colores, Mi Mundo, I began the conversation of finding one’s self, one’s reflection in nature. My father didn’t have words for what he experienced in the United States as a child. When he was 5 years old he was placed in an all English speaking school when he spoke only Spanish. There were no bilingual books or teachers or parents. Only him. From his stories I sensed that although he didn’t find himself reflected in the dominant culture around him, it was through Continue reading »
Filed under Power of Reflection, The Creative Process | Tags: children, creativity, reflection | Comments (2)Our Neighborhood Library Reopens
After a 20 month closure, our neighborhood library named after Harvey Milk finally reopened on Saturday, October 24, 2009 here in San Francisco where we live. We’re so excited to see the wonderful amenities they’ve added, like a gas fireplace, Wi-Fi, a dedicated children’s area, and more. Don’t be surprised if many of our blog posts come while we sit in this beautiful place.
We attended the opening ceremony on Saturday where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence did a fabulous blessing followed by lion dancers leading us into our amazing new library! And of course we looked, and some of Maya’s books are available there to check-out – maybe she’ll have to have a children’s story time? Here are some pictures from the opening. Do you have a favorite library in your area?
Our Introduction
Hi! We’re Maya and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez and we’re the visionaries behind Reflection Press. While we could say all the stuff about how many books Maya has illustrated or the awards she’s won, or who Matthew is and what he does, we’ll save that for the About Us page on our website and get to that with our second phase website launch. For this post we’ll just stick to some fun facts.
Our New Blog Spot
Welcome to our new blog! We’ve created this blog to provide a venue to engage with educators, parents, administrators and anyone else interested in our work and what we have to offer. We not only want to share insights, ideas, and resources with our visitors but also be able to receive feedback and engage in thoughtful conversations.
Filed under General | Tags: opening, website | Comment (0)On our blog we’ll explore why developing a relationship with the process of creativity is so important not only for ourselves but for our children. How it can empower us, enable us to know ourselves more deeply, and teach us compassion and understanding for others. We’ll also discuss the importance of reflection and seeing ourselves in the world around us and how the lack of appropriate reflection, especially for children, can silently take its toll emotionally, spiritually and physically. And, what we can do as educators, parents, or anyone else working with children to empower them to create their own reflection and to take pride in expressing their true selves in the world. Plus, to spice it up even more, we also thought this would be a great way for people to get to know us and get a glimpse into our lives.
