It is that time of the year again when we judge the entries for the contest. A year passes by very quickly. I always look forward to seeing all the entries. It seems that the skill level has gone up in a year and many drawings featured rich, colorful expressions.

I am a member of an educational program where members of the Japan Art Academy visit schools all over Japan to demonstrate art and offer guidance to children. During the program, I never tell children that their work is “good”. Although praising them may make the children happy, those that didn’t get praised may feel like they are not good enough and be discouraged to draw. If children become caught up in trying to produce a “good drawing”, they may find themselves imitating artworks that they consider good, only to end up with something their talent doesn’t show through.

So, does this mean that all painters worldwide, including the renowned artists in the past, are good at drawing? I do not think so. In my opinion, choosing artwork based on how well it is drawn is a mistake. Instead, it is important to choose artwork based on your preference and your feeling or attraction. If it moves you, it is a good drawing no matter how vague the depiction may be. If you look for one definite answer that everyone can agree on, like 1+1=2, you cannot choose the right one. It is necessary to acknowledge all different ideas. The drawings we have here are all correct. Making the selection intuitively is the most important task for us judges.

The fact that the drawings are full of color proves that there is freedom and peace. The colorful artwork by the children gave me an abundance of energy as if I devoured the colors with my eyes to activate my brain cells. The award-winning works will be shown at exhibits all over Japan, so I hope you too will experience this sensation.