Being weird was normal at Centauri Summer Arts Camp. In my exit email at EA, I said I loved our creative coworkers because they reminded me of my friends at arts camp with more technical skills. It’s hard to find an environment like that.
That’s why I love the new children’s book What In The World Is Ezra’s Art? A seven-year-old’s art could be the first step towards lifelong artistic pursuits, such as writing, public speaking or graphic design. If kids don’t feel comfortable expressing themselves at school or at home, then adulting will be an uphill battle. Ezra’s story effectively teaches kids to persevere even when your friends and family make it clear they think you’re weird. How hard is it for his parents to put his art on the damn fridge?!
It’s sad when Ezra’s art teacher praises his classmates’ nearly identical fruit bowl drawings while making Ezra feel incompetent. You’d hesitate to call someone generic, boring or basic, so why are bullies so quick to be judgmental?
This experience mimics many real world situations. For example, it applies to fashion. Iris Apfel once said, “When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.” It’s a great quote that underlines the power of originality, as emphasized in the book. She earned her reputation through a unique personal style and paved the way for others to do the same.
The book illustrates the need to find like-minded friends because Ezra’s self-esteem improves after his classmate Harper shows interest in his art. Outside the classroom, social media lets you connect with similar people and ideally form meaningful relationships.
It’s inspiring how the authors Eric Toda and Shay Fan are executives at Meta and made this book as a side hustle and passion project. Eric Toda has been on my radar for many years because he was the former CMO of Gap. I buy all my clothes at Gap, including the black waffle top in this photo that also appears in many of my reels!
“This story came from a personal place because we want young characters to fully be themselves – messy, passionate, creative – and they happen to be Asian American,” said Toda.
They released their debut book during Asian Heritage Month and it’s a great read! I wish it showed Ezra’s parents giving him the recognition he deserves on the fridge, on Facebook and beyond.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for review. Thank you Third State Books!
