Untamed

I have been teaching creativity to young children for the last two years.  It has been an interesting journey not only into the inner worlds of these small folk but into the psyche if humans in general.  The more we change the more we stay the same.  We are tamed by society but that madly impulsive, crazy creative being always  resides within.  If you have been really well tamed and equally well homed, then you know how to suppress the spontaneity.

Most of children are in primary school, however I do teach at a pre-school once a week.  Many years ago I did this on a daily basis.  How one forgets.  It is a circus, a delightful, utterly entertaining circus, but a circus nonetheless.  This is how we are untamed. What has struck me  is the process game.  The older children have come to understand that our projects are a process and therefore take time.  They are in fact surprised when they get to take something home immediately and often defer it so it may “dry” (ignoring my desire to release that area from all the  ‘drying’ projects.).  For the little ones this is a foreign concept. Now is when it is necessary, not next week. Bless them, they will learn.

What I like about working in the creative sphere with children is that this is where childhood in all its honesty and ambition streams out.  It may be slow and steady or it may gush forth.  And sometimes it has to be extracted. Already at these tender ages personalities are evident and you can see where family and society have taught them to reign it in, as we must to some extent.  I have one little boy who is quiet and still despite the mayhem surrounding him.  When paper and pencil/paintbrush are put before him I see him, I hear him, it is such a determined and detailed expression of his imagination  which never ceases to surprise and delight me. It is beautiful. He is 6 and his world is magical.

This space an interesting and important one.  We chose a school for our children based on its creative approach to learning, its holistic approach. It would seem that creativity is usually associated with heightened emotional expression.  Schooling undoubtedly play a fundamental role in our children’s creativity as do we as parents and the society we live in.  In areas where less emphasis is placed on art, children draw figures in simpler forms. One study showed that children in America place importance on smiles whereas the Japanese children in the study showed greater attention to detail.  Cultural relevance. We have to tend their spirits and nurture this precious part of their world for once their faith in their own skill and understanding  has disappeared , it is hard to resurrect.  How many adults reflect on  their own vanished artist digging deep to unearth it.  Belief is lost, expression diminished.  In children this translates to a loss of language for where words fail them the crayon won’t. I work hard in my lessons to manage their self-criticism.  It usually pays off.  After telling one child that I loved her sock doll she retorted with “How can I trust you Carla, because you love all our work” (which I do). I replied that she is so suspicious.  This same child is no longer nervous to draw neither needing reassurance that it might not be right),nor anticipating possible failure.

And even though what I do is not officially “art therapy”, I am convinced that for the children who sit at my small table, it is exactly that.

And now for the beautiful craft...

The children then spent a little time meditating on their friendly creatures which they discussed and then drew.  I demonstrated how to divide the creature into individual parts.  These were drawn onto card, cut out and then pinned together to make a mobile friendly creature.