The History of Claiming Face
Maya Christina Gonzalez is the creator of Claiming Face and the author of the first book in the series, Claiming Face: The Educator's Guide. Maya has illustrated 20 multicultural children’s books and received numerous awards. She has both authored and illustrated her past two children's books, My Colors, My World and I Know the River Loves Me. Many of her books are considered to be standards in the multicultural children’s section of libraries. In the classroom, Maya has worked primarily with children of color.
Here’s what Maya has to say about the history and evolution of Claiming Face:
“I grew up Chicana in the 1960’s and 70’s in the Mojave desert in California. I did not see myself reflected in the media around me. And I couldn’t have explained what I was feeling about it or how it affected me as a child. But I was feeling it and it was affecting me. Although not conscious of it, I intuitively used creativity as a tool to navigate this reality. I used to draw myself into the backs of books. In this instance, creativity gave me a tool to feel like I was the one who made the decisions. I was the boss and could say this is a drawing of my face: young, Chicana girl, and it belongs right here in this book.
Eventually I stopped drawing in the backs of books, but I kept drawing my face. As my relationship with creativity deepened over time I learned that it was less and less about the drawings that began to pile up and more about what happened during the act of creating them. After awhile, I felt pulled to my pencils or brushes not because I wanted a drawing or painting, but because I needed to express and understand something multilayered and wordless. I came to know myself more deeply through this and trust my own knowing.
When I began working with children as an artist in the classroom, I instinctively taught the children what art had taught me. This seemed more and more appropriate as I witnessed how similar the stresses of today’s children were to mine as a child. Regularly working in classrooms and libraries since 1996 I have gained a deeper understanding of how to use creativity to empower children. A progressive curriculum and container naturally developed that was rooted with my own experience as a child of color and as an artist and educator. Creativity has been such an amazing teacher and support for me. I find that I want to share it with as many people as possible. Working with educators seemed the best path to begin and from there can expand. I appreciate that I am not the only one teaching the power of creativity and want to join my efforts with the many others who share this passion. My journey has led me to work with almost exclusively children of color, but I know that this work is appropriate for all of us wanting to know and value ourselves more fully.
I do not teach art that tells us how to make a chair look like a chair. Instead I support adults and children alike in claiming who they are and the value of their experience through the process of art. And on the way some very beautiful work is created! Claiming Face invites educators, parents, teachers, therapists, social workers, (everyone!) to begin with themselves. We are all artists. It is a way of being. When we know and value ourselves more fully we can more readily implement the changes we want to see in our lives and in our world! We begin with ourselves because it is from this strong place that we can model, empathize and most effectively share this work/play with the children in our lives.
I respect the position of educator and want to lend what support I can. And I am inspired by the resilience, courage and brilliance of children and want to play more! Thank you for sharing this with me.”
Claiming Face: The Educator's Guide. Written by Maya Gonzalez, this is the first from our Claiming Face series and is specifically geared to educators to assist in bringing the Claiming Face philosophy and practice into the classrooom. View inside and get your copy today>>
Maya Gonzalez creates art for ALA Día poster
NYS TESOL’s Dialogue Online Magazine reviews Claiming Face
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