"Open a Channel."

You know on Star Trek, when they encounter some unknown thing and they want to communicate with it? The captain says, "Open a channel," and someone pushes some buttons and beeping happens and whoever it is pops up on the screen. Then they talk and discuss destroying each other or who has who prisoner or whatever plot ensues.

When I draw with kids, it feels like opening a channel with them. We have a whole conversation going on by way of what we are putting down on paper, or white boards, or whatever we have. I can learn what's on their minds, what colors they are into, what movies they've seen lately. Sometimes a bunch of them are all drawing the same thing, like Fly Guy or rainbows with hearts around them. They often bond in this way. There's a whole world under there.

So when you draw together, notice that there's that extra channel open and listen to it. People communicate in zillions of ways, and drawing has a quality of directness that is very unique. Different parts of the story come out in different forms. This is why some stories lend themselves to words while others are better as a movie. So, open a channel!