Art and Education: discussing the importance of art education in schools and how we can encourage this in adulthood.
10 important reasons Art education is important in schools:
Art education is an essential part of every student's educational journey. Here are ten important reasons why it should be a part of every school curriculum:
Encourages creativity: Art education allows students to express themselves creatively and uniquely, promoting individuality and originality.
Builds confidence: When students create art, they develop a sense of pride and accomplishment in their work, which can boost their self-esteem and confidence.
Enhances critical thinking skills: Art education teaches students to analyze, interpret, and evaluate visual information, which helps to develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to other subjects.
Improves fine motor skills: Creating art involves using fine motor skills, which can help students develop better hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Fosters cultural awareness: Art education exposes students to different cultures, traditions, and perspectives, helping to develop empathy and respect for diversity.
Promotes problem-solving skills: Creating art often involves finding creative solutions to problems, which promotes problem-solving skills that can be applied to other areas of life.
Boosts academic performance: Studies have shown that students who participate in art education tend to perform better in other academic subjects, such as math and science.
Provides a form of self-expression: Art education provides a safe and healthy outlet for students to express their emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
Develops teamwork skills: Art education often involves collaboration and teamwork, which can help students develop social and communication skills.
Enhances overall quality of life: Art education can have a positive impact on students' mental health and well-being, promoting a sense of fulfillment, happiness, and overall quality of life.
We are all born creatively free but somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we seem to lose touch with our sense of creativity today I want to take a deeper dive into how we can lean forward in confidence in our creativity within our everyday adult lifestyles which can keep us busy and overwhelmed.
Encouraging creativity in children is important as it helps them develop their cognitive and social skills. To encourage childlike creativity in adults, you can try the following:
Engage in playful activities: Playful activities such as drawing, painting, or playing with clay can help adults tap into their creativity. Encourage them to experiment with different materials and explore their imagination.
Provide opportunities for exploration: Providing adults with opportunities to explore new things can spark their creativity. Encourage them to try new hobbies or visit new places to stimulate their senses and inspire their creativity.
Encourage brainstorming: Brainstorming is a great way to generate creative ideas. Encourage adults to brainstorm ideas for a project or problem they are working on. Encourage them to generate as many ideas as possible without judging them.
Encourage risk-taking: Creativity often involves taking risks and trying new things. Encourage adults to take calculated risks and not be afraid to make mistakes. Encourage them to learn from their mistakes and keep trying.
Foster a supportive environment: A supportive environment is essential for creativity to thrive. Encourage adults to surround themselves with supportive people who encourage and inspire them.
By following these tips, you can help your adult self tap into your childlike creativity and unleash your full potential.
#TyistightArtTherapyThursdays
The purpose of the art therapy exercises I post is with the intent to challenge people to make time for FUN and CREATIVITY in their everyday lives. Often our days can seem mundane and repetitive for normal people, so I want to bring attention to our feelings and a way of relief, coping with life if you will that everyone can relate to even if you don’t consider yourself to be “artsy-crafty”.
ACTIVITY
For today’s art therapy exercise, we are going to create a “Grow through what you go through” Tree!
MATERIALS NEEDED
Construction Paper
Scissors
Glue Stick
Sharpie/marker/pencil/pen
Keep in mind ***
This exercise is supposed to be fun! For my leaves, I wrote down areas in my life I would like to see growth in, but you can make your leaves appropriate to your preference. You could write your goals, self-affirmations, and or things you’re grateful for. Whatever you’re feeling, go for it.
Directions:
Start with getting those handy dandy scissors and cutting out your tree's trunk and branches. (I suggest cutting skinnier strips for the branches so that way they are easier to curl and twirl to your liking)
Next, let’s cut out our leaves. I used a Sharpie to outline one leaf to use as a stencil for my other leaves so they could all be similar in shape and size. (This step took the longest for me because I cut them one by one instead of stacking the paper, don’t be like me, think smarter, not harder)
After we’ve got everything cut out we can now start gluing down our construction paper starting with our branches, only towards the middle of the paper, then covering the center where the branches all meet with the trunk piece.
Once you’ve done this, start gently twisting your branches to curl and then glue the ends of each one down to the paper pressing it down to secure it from unraveling.
Once your branches are all twirled up and glued down now we can start writing on our leaves and glue them as well.
Lo and behold we have our tree of growth!
MY ARTWORK AND REFLECTION
TIME TO REFLECT
Once you have completed your artwork I challenge you to take a piece of paper, or jot it down in the notes on your phone but take a moment to reflect on your art and ask yourself questions to gain a deeper understanding of your emotions and yourself.
Example reflection questions:
What parts of your artwork do you feel are most successful?
Did your artwork turn out how you intended? Or did it take a different direction?
What would you do differently if you were to create this artwork again?
What did you enjoy most about this process?
What did you learn from creating this artwork?
POST IT TO INSTAGRAM!
Like usual, please be sure if you are comfortable sharing your artwork from today’s exercise tag me on Instagram @Tyistight_creatives and be sure to use hashtag #TyistightArtTherapyThrusdays
I would LOVE to see your work! If you don’t feel comfortable sharing on social media you can send it directly to me either by DM on Instagram or to my email: Tyistight.creatives@gmail.com
QUOTE OF THE WEEK :
”Feel the fear and do it anyways”
THANKS:
Thank you for joining this week’s exercise. I hope you enjoyed creating and found the exercise useful in tapping into your happiness.
Don’t forget to check the art in my shop while you’re here on the website!
