1. "4" represents balance, a "full" or "whole" of an object. There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter; there are four East, South, West, and North. "4" is a good number that represents a state of balance. However, it is its pronunciation in Mandarin that is similar to the word "die"/"death" that has rendered it to be left alone.

2. This is drawn by a Standard 4 student who had subconsciously used the number "4"'s form in this piece of artwork. Square windows on the buildings are an example of it. She said "I was just thinking the windy days while I was drawing, and hence, I drew four trees! Each of the four buildings must have its own tree in between, so that it is balanced and equal."

3. If there is a lot of forms of number "4" in your artwork, your hand and mind would experience the state of balance, and the need of equality would be leading you on your artwork. The author believes that every stroke, every sentence, and every single action relates very much to our inner environment (our mind and heart). To understand the meaning of it as it was reflected from the heart, it depends on each other's relationship and trust.

4. This little girl asked the author "Teacher, would u prefer living high above a condo, or in a house near to the ground?" As the author replied "condo", she kept on asking "Condo? Aren't you afraid of earthquake?" "Yes I am. But I love the larger space in a condo, and the management makes me feel safe." She then replied "I love to live in a condo too! Especially the ones with explicit view! But after the 912 earthquake incident, my aunt's condo had collapsed. Since then, I don't dare to live in a condo anymore."

5. After that, she wanted to draw condos because she loves to live in one. She kept on thinking about ways to make it strong and stable so that she'd feel safe living in it. This is a process whereby this child is undergoing a healing time. It is a time for her to adjust her feeling and thoughts and keep on moving forward after such an incident. Her passion in condos is greatly explained after she was asked for the advantages of living in one. This is another example of a child undergoing the process of healing. However, this doesn't mean that we could sit with our arms tied up and let them heal on their own. It is a very crucial time that we go through all the things they've experienced in order to grow with them.

Labels: o. Children art psychology