Voices Ringing
Carroll High School Blog
The Season of Giving Art: Christmas with the National Art Honor Society
The National Art Honor Society at Carroll High School has always made it a priority to bless the community with our artistic gifts. As an organization, we understand that our talents were meant to be shared and used to brighten the world. This idea has become the cornerstone mission of the National Art Honor Society at Carroll High School.
Secret Santa with an Artistic Twist
This year in the spirit of Christmas, the NAHS decided that they wanted to bless each other with an artistic gift. Each NAHS member wrote out a notecard with their name and some information about themselves, such as their favorite color, medium, animal, movie, hobby, and their preferred “aesthetic” (the overall style of someone or something). During the November NAHS Induction meeting, each member randomly selected a fellow member’s card. Using the information given, the students were to secretly create a personalized art piece for their chosen peer. A variety of mediums could be used in these creations, including graphite, colored pencil, pastel, charcoal, watercolor, and acrylic paint. The subject matter was completely unique and specific to the listed interests of the selected student.
The Exchange
During our NAHS Christmas party in December, students came with their completed creations, framed, wrapped, and ready to give to their respective owner. The meeting was equipped with sweet treats and classic Christmas music playing in the background. The spirit of Christmas was soaring in the art room!
In great anticipation, each secret Santa found their unknowing peer and presented them with their wrapped art piece. On the count of three, students eagerly unwrapped their gifts. Smiles of appreciation illuminated the room as students began to unveil their personalized artworks. These handmade gifts were unique in that not only were they a gift of creative thoughtfulness but also a gift of each other’s time. Our time is a precious gift that we never get back. The donation of each NAHS member’s time in the personalized creation of each gift made the exchange very special and deeply appreciated by each student. It was a great way to connect with other artists in the society and gain a greater sense of belonging to the Carroll art community.
You Get What You Give
Often times, the NAHS will give their artistic gifts to the greater community, such as donating and designing Halloween themed lunch bags filled with candy or providing art supplies at Christmas to local kids in need. Rarely, do the art students ever get to see the joy they have brought to the people they have helped. The NAHS gift exchange was a very rare opportunity for the NAHS members to not only witness the joy their artistic gifts bring, but to also feel the joy themselves of being blessed by another’s artistic talent and time.
Preparing for Christmas Day in the final week of Advent
As we finish wrapping our presents, checking our lists, baking, cooking, planning, shopping, and stressing, it is so very important to pause, slow down, and breathe in the moment. Moments fly by so fast and seem to go by even faster lately. Throughout the pandemic, I have been reminded of how precious time is. Time is a gift from God. Loved ones are gifts from God. As we approach Christmas, we will celebrate the Holy Family as a unit with the birth of Christ. Christ manifests himself within the domestic Church, the family unit. Time with our families is sacred, and it is important to make the most of the time we have with them. Here are some ways we can accomplish this:
Foster a positive atmosphere
Make kindness and forgiveness a policy during family gatherings so we can make the time with loved ones an enjoyable experience rather than a chore. Kindness and sincerity help us to be more authentic versions of ourselves that we can share with others especially our family.
Invite the Lord
Praying as a family before sharing a meal invites God to be an active part of your family time to remember who we are and whose we are. A family unit is also called the domestic Church. It is in the family that God can be made manifest to bring joy, peace, and love into the world.
Create new family traditions
Making crafts together, establishing a card game tournament, going to see lights, or have a “who can make the best hot chocolate” competition creates long-lasting memories to cherish throughout our lives. Having good fun during family time allows everyone to interact with each other ways that they may not have before.
Minimize distractions
By storing the phones, tablets, and turning off the tv we are more able to be present and attentive and to enter into deeper conversation to reconnect with each other rather than making simple small talk just to survive the event. Getting to know our friends and family on a deeper level opens the door for opportunities to help each other and be there for each other.
This Christmas break, I challenge you to take in all of those precious moments with our friends and families so that our experiences turn into fond memories that we can carry with us through the year to come through good times and in bad. The joy of Christmas and of Christ is present in being present.