I've said it before and I'll say it again, my Art Site and "Home" overlap constantly.
Art is a way of life for us, not just something we make time to do.
Education and art are so interwoven that it's difficult (and so sad) when people attempt to separate the two. The connection between drawing and geometric shapes and measurements simply cannot be denied. I would also argue that writing is just a special form of drawing. Then there are Nature Notebooks, history time lines (which are always enhanced by drawings,) and spiritual development. Surely our Creator has given each of us creativity to use and find joy in, and He delights when we take pleasure in it. I believe people often see art as occasionally supplemental but even unecessary, if time doesn't allow. They are missing out.
Besides the obvious blessings (right??) here are some additional benefits of Art:
There are tight correlations between artistic endeavors and cognitive abilities, which I don't find the least bit surprising. You can read about that here.
Art encourages people to ask questions, and reflect on meaningful ideas that are often overlooked in the daily hustle and bustle of activity. Stop. Think. Question. Reflect. Act.
Art makes people think about ways life might one day be different. This is one of my favorite activities for our sketchbook. "What would you like to invent someday, to help the world?" "What do you think this city will look like in 100 years?" "Show me some future robots."
Art can start the ball rolling to exchange thoughts, feelings, and ideas among total strangers who would ordinarily not talk to one another.
Art teaches children to be creative and have fun with life. They can lay their dreams and ideas out for the world to see, often expanding their ideas in the process.
Art enhances life. We interact with people all day, but there are also interactions with art going on, whether or not you realize it. A painting, billboard, commercial, or sculpture can inspire you and even change the course of your thoughts.
These reasons are just the tip of the iceberg, really. I could go on (and I'm sure I will, in a later post,) about how art relays information and opens windows into all kinds of treasures.
Never underestimate the power of art to make life better.
All that to say I teach with art. All the time. Every subject, every day.
Art relays information in such an amazing way, for any kind of learner. You talk about it as you do it, watch and learn, and put your self into it.
Yesterday the kids and I were talking about influences. Right action follows right thinking, and thinking is affected by what we put into ourselves. Our lifestyle, prayers, books, friendships, songs, and everything else affects how we see the world and how we react or respond to it. Every one has on their own "glasses." It's impossible for two people to always see eye-to-eye on everything, because their lives and experiences, thoughts and friends cannot be identical.
I don't know about you, but I tend to get in the most trouble when I expect people to act and think exactly like I would. It's not possible. So I've been doing extra "lessons" in hopes that my children will learn early on to live their lives in a rock-solid & secure way, while also attempting to look through other people's glasses.
We created these simple pages in our Art journals, to show that everything we put in affects how we see the world and how we act.
(I love that little scrap of paper, from my tea, that says "filterbag." That IS what happens; everything we encounter is filtered through our own perceptions.)
You always sound so smart.
ReplyDeleteI love your approach to schooling, and life in general. Art incorporated into every subject would certainly have been the most effective way for me to learn. I still remember drawing all the parts of a bird for science when I was homeschooled in SC.