One thing that we haven't discussed as much is the fact that Craig drew a personal drawing for each person before he left Six North. This really struck me because it showed that Craig had really found himself during his stay. He went from a depressed 15-year-old in an elite high school to a strong boy who had found his true calling: to be an artist.
These drawings that Craig made represented what he had learned about each and every person in the ward. The first person in line to get a drawing from Craig was President Armelio. As Craig was drawing he described how in Armelio's head he had "six-lane highways running parallel, streaking through a city, with purpose and minimal on-ramps." As Craig drew Ebony's brain, he described, "With all her gambling skill, she needs to have a Strip, like Vegas." While drawing Humble's head, Craig says, "I don't make any small blocks, just big ones...I put the ocean in there, to represent his hometown...then I splash it with highways, erasing the streets and putting them over the top, throwing in crazy intersections for no reason, making the whole thing look violent and random, but also powerful and true." The descriptions of these people's drawings showed their true personality, and what Craig learned from them through the weekend.
My favorite drawing that Craig did was the one for Noelle. Craig says, "The paper is 14"x17" and I had room to make the maps huge; the bodies are small and unimportant; the key thing that your eye is drawn to is a soaring bridge between the two heads, longer than the Verrazano, even, with coils of ramps like ribbons mashed up at each end." This drawing, symbolized chemistry and love. Craig's love for Noelle was perfectly captured in this drawing, and it really stood out to me. :)
The drawing for Noelle was a very sweet gesture done by Craig. It was a great way to say goodbye to the friends he met at the hospital, and an even better way for them to remember him as a friend. I think art is a great way for Craig to express himself to others and a hobby that should be pursued. When his mom asks him if he wants to be an artist for a living he says, “This is something I love. So I’d better do it” (338). Maybe this is a better option for Craig than going back and attending school again. It is like therapy to him. However, his dad was not too keen of the idea. He responded by saying, “You’d better love it, because it’s a hard life. It’s mostly the artists who end up in places like this” (338). This comment was sort of harsh and Craig took it to the heart. Art was his passion, so it was devastating to hear. The stress accumulated from being a student was not something he wanted to deal with any longer because it prolonged his depression. Craig learned in Six North not to hold back from doing bold things, because life could take you anywhere.
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