New EVERYTHING!

I have been on one of life's metaphorical rollercoasters and things are finally beginning to make sense to me. Images are getting clearer and clearer and things aren’t flying by me so quickly anymore. I’m slowing down and beginning to see a lot more of the happy little details I was missing before. I’ve revamped my blog, my art, my life and here’s what I’ve come up with so far!

Art education. Art. Education. Two words which seem almost contradictory when put next to each other–at least in my eyes.

Here are my thoughts on these two words independently before I continue:

Art is an expression of one’s creativity utilizing different media. This could include: paints, crayons, pencils, sculptures, dance, music…the possibilities are endless. Art can take many forms and is almost impossible to grade. This does not mean that art cannot be critiqued. Critiquing art can help an artist to explore a deeper understanding of what he or she is trying to emit in his or her work. And, of course, everyone is an artist, no matter the skill level. The only requirements for art are creativity and a means to materialize that creativity.

Education (for today’s learners) has become a hindrance to the growth of creativity in our youth. The motivation to learn has drastically declined because of the lack of excitement in the classroom. The curricular expectations and the standards required by governments have limited classroom learning to facts being dictated and students memorizing them in order to pass a test. Critical thinking, creativity, analysis, even questions are disappearing from classroom learning and will, in turn, point us to a deficient economic and social future.

That being said…

I may not be able to change education. I may not be able to change ART education. But over the last few years, the opportunities to work with kids, work in education, work in museums, and begin a masters program in art education have allowed me to have a critical eye towards these two fields. I am also able to share my views and opinions on the subject here and elsewhere so maybe ideas can spread and change can eventually happen.

Simply stated, I believe art education that allows for creativity and self-expression from a young age will positively impact the developmental stages of our youth and provide for successful futures.

The K-12 learners of today are at a great disadvantage because they have been sent into this education system that does not allow their minds to develop in a way that enables them to question and analyze the world around them. Core subjects such as Math, Science, History and Language arts are put at the forefront of their education while art education is pushed to the side as an elective. This could be because many may see art education as a subject that cannot be applied later in life. Quite the opposite is true, however.

If art education is restructured, it can play a pivotal role in any person’s future. Rather than art education being focused on technique, art education should be based on creativity, self-expression, self-reflection, critical thinking and problem solving. I think everyone can agree that these characteristics are needed (along with other things) to create and maintain successful futures in any field. Therefore, art education should no longer be about the final product of a child’s work, but instead, it should focus on the PROCESS–the means to the end, if you will. Guidelines should be kept to a minimum. Instead of teaching a student how to paint a still life or draw a self-portrait, an art teacher should spark inspiration in the artist and allow him or her to find what they want to create within themselves.

I’ve observed many different of art classes and I have felt that the most successful ones (not in terms of final product or “gallery worthy” art) have been those classes that focus on the self-reflection and self-expressive aspects of art. A self-portrait does not have to be representational of reality. It can be an expression of how the artist sees himself, and I think it can be said that many people don’t see themselves as others may see them. Students are in touch with themselves and their work and create pieces that are uniquely theirs. These classes have allowed them to see, reflect, and express without judgement or expectation.

Cultivating this sense of freedom of expression and self-awareness at a young age will enable youth to grow as individuals rather than as numbers in a crowd. It is this type of environment and encouragement that will create confident, self-starting, creative, inspired, self-aware, successful adults.

These revelations I have had over the last few years have also given me a chance to look at my own art differently. It has always been difficult for me to put more than just an image on a canvas. But this is something that I have been working on.

I’m starting from scratch. I am creating without expectation. I’m trying to find that inner-self and materialize it. It is a process, one that is much more difficult to begin as an adult. But these kids who work with such self-awareness and creativity have become my teachers and my inspiration. 

I call these my little doodlitos. They're no bigger than a 3x5. This is me getting back to the beginnings and learning what paint can do for me and what I can do with paint....

No expectations, just paint.