Kindergarten comeback.

Whenever I want students to do something that might be considered juvenile at a workshop, I'll preface it by saying, "Now, I'm going to ask everyone to harness their inner kindergartner with this. Be brave. " Then, often reluctantly, the students will pick up the crayon or marker and go along with it, but make sure to roll their eyes at their friends. "She does know we're old enough to own fake ids, right?"

Truth is, like most people, I spend a good portion of my day repressing my inner kindergartner. I still am tempted by the afternoon nap. I'd prefer my mother to anyone else's company when I'm feeling ill. Pass the cookies?

Still, some things can't be repressed. My most notable childhood-turned-adult activity would probably be finger painting - I still get a little too much joy out of getting my fingers discolored. What I like about finger painting is that there are no winners or losers. Now, I'm sure a studio art major could make my crayola masterpieces look like colorful pieces of crap, but judging someone's finger painting is like kicking a puppy. Who the hell would be so cruel to even think it? Finger painting is an excellent form of release for me. For a little while, I can get relatively messy, swirl my fingers around paper, and transition out of my work day. And, as a bonus, I can decorate my fridge. Twenty years may have passed since kindergarten, but some habits are just too fun to let go of.