By Tiffany Hoffman
Artistic Role Models Help Kids Appreciate Their Own Talents
By Tiffany Hoffman
An astronaut who includes real Moon dust in his paintings and an opera singer with a big voice show kids what can happen when people appreciate their own talents.
The January issue of Highlights® features Alan Bean, a special artist who has walked on the Moon, and
Alan Held, an opera singer with a big voice.
"Color the Moon" shares the story of Bean—an astronaut turned artist. When Bean left NASA to paint full-time, an artist friend advised him to paint what was special to him. Bean decided to paint scenes from his Apollo missions.
"He wanted to paint what he saw, but it was all in shades of gray," Coordinating Editor Kim Griswell explains. "Bean was inspired by Claude Monet, and he realized he could bring his own vision of color to the Moon."
Bean found that he could color the blackand-white world of the Moon with his imagination. He combined his artistic
creativity with his passion for space and his memories of walking on the Moon.
"Bean's story also shows that people can have really varied interests," Griswell says. "It's not often that you find an astronaut who is also an accomplished artist."
"Singing Big and Loud"—the story of Metropolitan Opera singer Alan Held— also shares the experience of a person
who has learned to appreciate his special gifts and has gone on to master his talents.
In his Flashback article, Held tells a story from his childhood when his loud voice got him in trouble with teachers. Held writes about his biggest childhood "flaw," which turned into his greatest talent.
"When we choose articles for the Flashback feature, we look for individuals who are positive role models for kids," Griswell says. "They also have a story to tell from childhood that is relevant to their success and to the lives of kids. It shows that people who have done well in life have faced the same kinds of problems our readers face."
Published several times a year, Flashback articles share the stories of everyday heroes who are scientists, engineers, writers, athletes, actors, artists, politicians, and people from many other professions.