The Camouflaged Pig

This is a pig. But not just any pig. It's Carson's pig...  a school assignment that represents Carson's personality in a nutshell and lead to an entire parent-teacher meeting... all over this here, cool, and unfinished pig.

All year long, I've been working with Carson's teacher, trying to find ways to help Carson focus better in class. Bless his sweet teacher. I know what a monumental challenge it is to get Carson fed and clothed under 60 minutes each morning--let alone through an entire six and a half hours of school. Carson is a very intelligent boy. He scores high in everything... reads so well... WHEN HE WANTS TOO. His way. His timing.
I went to visit Carson's teacher today to ask her opinion on the best teacher for Carson next year. She sighed. "He needs someone patient," she said. (Uh oh. Here we go.) "See this pig?' she said. I nodded--scared. She continued, "We started this a week ago. He still is not finished. He is too creative. (Yeah-she actually said that.) And he daydreams--constantly! He had this idea to draw a camouflaged pig--not a pink pig like everybody else--A CAMOUFLAGED PIG. I told him that we did not have time for a camouflaged pig.... He insisted on the camouflaged pig!" Ouch. Nothing she said surprised me, but it stung, nonetheless.
I wanted to laugh and scream and cry all in the same moment because I both love and hate this aspect of Carson. It can be so so so frustrating, trying to get him to do anything within a certain time frame. However, on the other hand, it makes me incredibly proud to see him so unwaveringly sure of himself at a mere seven years of age. I don't want to change the very thing I love most about him--his uniqueness that sets him a part. He could never be a cookie-cutter student because... well... that would just not be... Carson. But I do want to channel his stubborn, creative, out-of-the-box thinking towards being a respectful, obedient, successful person. But how?
Oh, you smiling, unfinished, camouflaged pig! Tell me what to do!