Art and Gratitude

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

There’s still some Halloween candy left (well maybe in your house) and the sprint is already on to get through the Holidays. We won’t even have digested our turkey dinner and most of us will be worrying about our schedules and to-do lists. Thanksgiving shouldn’t be just passed over, it should be a reminder for us to slow down and really take stock of the important things. A reminder that gratitude should not be limited to just one Thursday in November but practiced daily. We regularly need to take a breath, focus and enjoy feeling gratitude for something in our life, even if it’s just being able to take that breath. In our busy life, we forget to focus and enjoy the flow. We forget that our life isn’t a destination, it’s an experience. Art is the same and doing art can actually help us to learn focus.

One of the things that I have to remind my students often is that they will not be happy with their finished drawing if they rush through it, talk while doing their artwork and are not completely focused on what they are doing. It will not be the best work that they can do. If we rush through the moments in our life, checking off things on our list, trying to do too much, we won’t be living our best life. Focus can be learned and cultivated. Even I struggle with this and need to remind myself that I need to do a drawing or painting one line or stroke at a time, not worry about the last drawing I did or what the finished piece will look like. We get lost in the flow by not getting ahead of ourselves or worrying about past mistakes, doing just one line at a time then making a decision on the next and then the next and before we realize we’ve, seemingly effortlessly, created something. It won’t be perfect but will be a step in the process and we can be happy that we did the best we could to do in that moment.

Just like that drawing when we dwell on the past or worry about things in the future and are rushing to get it all done, we aren’t experiencing the flow of life and it becomes a struggle. We need to remind ourselves to take time in our day to stop and focus on the moment and all the good in our life, one breath at a time and then make a decision on the next and the next, we will then experience the gratitude and flow of a happy life. It won’t be perfect but will be the best we can do in that moment.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Always Learning: Playing and Embracing the Beginner's Mind

“In the Beginner’s Mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.”~Shunryu Suzuki

“Every child is an Artist. The problem is how to remain an Artist once we grow up.”~Pablo Picasso

Shoshin is a word from Zen Buddhism meaning “Beginner’s Mind”. It refers to having an attitude of curiosity, openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. I think of it like a young child playing. Their busy mind focusing and then getting lost in the moment, opening to the creativity and the flow. I truly believe in the benefits of staying curious and being a lifelong learner. Continuously becoming the student is a skill and practice in humility which helps make me a better teacher and better human. It’s hard to admit we don’t know all the answers but really, how can we?

It’s difficult to give up our preconceptions and our fears. To give up one’s control is both scary and liberating—this is learning. I will be taking classes myself for much of my time off from teaching this Summer. My first thought was to say “working holidays,” but I need to think of them as playing holidays. I need to strive to having an attitude of fun, to keeping my mind open for new possibilities…always to have the Beginner’s Mind. I hope to be as much of an example to my student’s and their loved ones as they are to me, to do the same in life and learning. To listen and not know everything. To see a different way or from a different perspective. To try something new or in a new way. Be curious, learn something and have fun this Summer!

The Importance of Accessable Art in Our Community

We have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the creative work of PrairieArt Studio’s students and to enhance our community as well. We have been invited to display our artwork in the local Mall with an ongoing display as well as some pop up events for Halloween and at the Youth Department  of a local library.  The Mall display is in conjunction with their new hands on S.T.E.A.M. (Science, technology, engineering , arts and Math) play area which is also great for the community. I’ve written in the past of the many benefits that creating art provides (see these blogs) It turns out that even just  looking at art and going to a concert or play has enormous benefits too. The NEA did a study that found that “older adults” who attended cultural events like museum exhibitions, opera and the theater, reported more of both mental and physical health benefits than those that did not. Further, they found that those that just attended had similar levels of wellbeing to those that attended cultural events and created art themselves. (Herzig, 2017)

This access and exposure to art has even more of an impact in less advantaged communities and though wealthier neighborhoods have more access to cultural events it doesn’t mean there is a good amount of them to balance other pursuits. A two year study done by a department at the University of Pennsylvania has revealed a quantitative relationship between the presence of cultural resources in a neighborhood and key aspects of social well being, particularly in less advantaged neighborhoods.  The authors of the study write that “culture is no magic bullet” for broader social ills, but “cultural assets are part of a neighborhood ecology that promotes well being” (Kaplan, 2017)

Though our community offers many advantages it seems that the primary focus of time, importance, the most amount real estate and funds goes to sports. I have nothing against sports, they have many benefits too and being the mother of four, have gone to my share of soccer games, swimming, horse shows, karate, baseball. football, cross-country, track,  and Lacrosse games. My concern is that there should be more of a balance of exposure to and opportunities for creative and cultural pursuits as well, to help us raise more well rounded citizens that are active and can creatively problem solve as well. This may inspire the young (and old) to maybe see or think about something in a different way and see that there is a whole world beyond sports. Additionally , the arts can offer a great outlet for for the un-sporty type.  Sports, many times, can be more ex-clusive and the arts more inclusive. Art enhances  joy, confidence and self-esteem which (for dads still pining for that all-star or olympian) may encourage them to go out and try a sport in additon to doing art.

So go out and see some Art with your family, it’s fun and good for you!

Michelle

Herzig, E. b. (2017, September 12). "Taking Your Grandparents to Museums Could Improve Their Health". Retrieved from artsy.net.

Kaplan, A. E. (2017, March 29). artsy.net. Retrieved from "New Study Links Art Access to Better Health, Safety, and Education in Lower-Income Neighborhoods".

We Grow Because We Struggle

“We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.”

R. C. Allen

The Coming of Spring is a perfect time to reflect on growth, renewal, beauty, and perfection.  The warmth and beautiful colors of Spring help us to forget the difficulties of the dark, cold Winter.  It’s human nature to want to forget and avoid difficult things. We want to avoid mistakes, for things to be easy and perfect. Yet, we know we can’t have one without the other and that life will always be full of difficulties.  It is how we perceive and handle them that makes the difference.

For me, teaching students how to draw is the easy part but teaching them to be open to something new, to let go of perfection and stifling self-criticism is hard. How can I help students, especially young ones, understand something that I still am challenged with.  In our role as a teacher, parent , or friend  it’s hard to see someone struggle or be in distress. You want to fix it but usually it is a change in perception or action that only they can make.  We would never grow or learn without mistakes and challenges. I am learning,  for myself,  that awareness is the key and that I can only teach acceptance with empathy and encouragement.

It’s also important to pick our battles and learn to struggle toward something real. When we accept that we were already created perfect in our own way, with our own unique gifts, we realize that the perfection we strive for is an ideal that isn’t real or our own.  It’s one we can never reach.  Fear and caution help us avoid danger but hinder us in other things. The fear part of our brain tells our body to react but can’t tell the difference between crossing the street or making an embarrassing mistake.  We can’t stop it, it is doing its job but we can be aware of what is happening.  Awareness of this reaction and then facing our mistakes and struggles with kindness will help us to trust that we will grow to our full and perfect potential.

Happy Spring!

Michelle

New Beginnings, Change and Loss~ Fall 2016

“For every time there is a season..”

It has been a bittersweet summer for me. I am very excited to tell you about all the nice things, like the fun Summer camps and workshops that where wonderfully intensive, prolific and inspiring. We touched on a wide range of themes and I love how being immersed in creating for 3- 4 days in a row allows a student to grow immensely. But, I have struggled with whether I should share with parents and students the difficult loss I have experienced this Summer.

I don’t want to burden other people with my struggles and don’t want it to seem that I am needy for sympathy. I am so blessed to have the support of many dear friends and family. Death is an uncomfortable and awkward subject for many and until you truly experience someone close to you dying, you have no idea how someone in that situation feels and what you should say or do for them. I want PrairieArt Studio to be a fun, happy, joyful place and don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable here. I am so fortunate to have my artwork and teaching to focus on. I find so much inspiration and joy in helping others to learn the skills and gain the confidence to enjoy the creative process.

I realized, though I am a very private person, that when I teach, I share a big part of myself, my story and my life. For me, at its best, Art is a refuge of calm, an expression and an outlet for things that are too big for any words. I invite my students and their families into my home and my world. It seems disingenuous not to share something that has profoundly changed the trajectory of my life. You see, on July 1st , I unexpectedly lost someone very close to me, my husband Tobin. We were together on a walk in nature, our favorite place to be and he was suddenly taken from this world. I will forever ponder the reason.

I love Fall and usually love change. It’s an expected change, a chance to start fresh, to refocus. It’s a crisp invigorating reminder to get back to work after a warm lazy summer. As an artist it is so important to really look and observe things and change, whether it’s the season, travel or just rearranging your furniture helps us to see things with “fresh” eyes. Some people embrace change and some are more reluctant but life is change. Every moment is different from the last. We really do need to embrace change and help our children to be comfortable with it. Unexpected change is harder to understand. We are forced to look at our own life with “fresh eyes” and to try to accept that there is a bigger plan. Having a creative outlet to express our feelings with both sadness, loss, confusion or joy and happiness is so important and extremely healing. My loss has helped to reaffirm my goal for myself and my goal for guiding my students to get past and put aside our perfectionism and our need to get it “just right” to be able to get lost in the process. I want to remind my students and myself to get out your head and back to your heart because miraculously the quality, technical skills and beauty will follow.

Our world is getting faster, more stressful and complex. It is easier to be busy and not face our feelings but not good for our health, hearts and minds. Life keeps moving, life goes on and it’s my hope that I can instill in my students a love of Art that will help them through all of the highs and lows of this time we have on Earth.

Peace,

Michelle

Art, Life and Tending Your Garden

At this time of year, I am excited to get outside and garden.  Anticipating, planning and preparing for all of natures beauty. I love nature and also creating a beautiful garden, sometimes they are in harmony and at times those things are at odds. Many of you know we are blessed (or burdened, depending on the moment) with a fairly large property with a creek, lawns, woods and lots of wildlife. Today, as I filled a couple of wheel barrels full of weeds that I pulled (knowing there will be many more) and planted pounds of grass seed a thought struck me.  My husband and I spend a lot of time and energy planting and replanting things were we want them to grow and continuously removing them from the places we don’t want them.  So I am wondering is it “gardening “or a lesson in futility? If we surrender and just stop will they have to rescue us with chain saws and machetes, everything covered by a multitude of weeds, blackberry and grape vines, mulberry trees, garlic mustard, creeping Charlie and poison ivy?

I know there is a lesson in this somewhere but I am too exhausted from all the work to even think. Oh wait, I think I have it...We need to find balance in life and though sometimes doing art seems futile and a waste of time we need to listen to our innate need to create. We need to direct our energy towards these things and take the time to appreciate and celebrate the beauty around us, weed out the things that are not important or hinder us (maybe creating something that will endure even after we are gone) because life will just take over and engulf us. So maybe I’ll take a break and paint my garden now because by August I usually run out of steam, sit on the deck with an iced-tea and look forward to Fall and Winter, at least until January when I’m wishing for Spring, it’s all perspective I guess, Ah… another metaphor and lesson for art and life.

Warmly!

Michelle

Sketchbook: Observer, Refuge, friend and More

I recently came across an engaging and funny article (1) (which I re-posted on our Facebook page) about some of the things that happen when you carry a sketchbook with you all the time. (Even if you're not an artist.) I haven't done this since I was a young student but it's such a great idea that I am encouraged to do it again. This particular article is geared for adults and I would like to encourage parents to try this but also to promote the idea to their children, who have a bit more idle time than we do.

A pad and paper is just as portable as a handheld screen but connects us to the present and exercises our creative mind instead of being mindlessly entertained and lost in another realm. It's a way to appease boredom or nervous energy that is engrossing but still present. It is, in its simplest form, a journal and personal record yet can be so much more. When my family moved and I had to start at a new school, my sketchbook was way to deal with that socially awkward moment of where to sit at lunch or during Common-Plan. It allowed me a safe place to feel included but also express my individuality. Not only was my sketchbook a refuge and a friend, it also allowed me to observe the outer world as well as my inner world and my creative ideas in an ongoing, developing dialogue.

An image or idea in a sketchbook is not meant to be perfect or a finished work of art. It can even be a word, feeling, doodle, pattern or impression. It's a recorded moment in time which can be used as a springboard for further development. A sketchbook is a personal place to practice, learn and develop. Don't insist on viewing someone's sketch book and if they do want to share it with you, hold back any judgments good or bad but encourage the effort and maybe just ask them to tell you about it. An open ended question about a particular sketch can lead to a conversation that may give insight for a parent into a child's life and individual personality.

Most children will want to draw from their imagination in a symbolic style, or in their favorite cartoon style which is good as well but also encourage them to look around and draw things in their own environment or copy pictures of things that interest them. If your child gets stuck, point out some things for them to observe like the shapes of different trees, branches or clouds in the sky, a close up or exploded view of an ordinary object, pictures of a favorite animal or just suggest shapes and lines in an abstract way that represent a feeling or sentiment. Try it, take a pad and pencil with you wherever you go and let me know some of the things that you and your child experience.




References:
(1) Pricilla Frank, "9 Things That Happen When You Carry a Sketchbook With You Nonstop, Go ahead, give your inner artist some space to grow." Huffington Post: Endeavor. February 23, 2016.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/9-things-that-happen-when-you-carry-a-sketchbook-with-you-nonstop_us_56c77001e4b0ec6725e2820a

Art as Soul Food: The Benefit of Drawing for adults (Even Terrified Ones)

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”  ~Pablo Picasso

I am not surprised at the current popularity of adult coloring books, Zen tangling and paint night parties because on some level, since childhood, we’ve always know that the act of creating art is not only fun but beneficial. It can be playful, stress relieving, meditative, great for increasing focus and problem solving skills and most of all good for the soul. Most children love to color and draw but as they grow a critical part steps in and as teenagers and adults they convince themselves that they absolutely can’t draw or don’t want to. For those that do try, many of the benefits can be sabotaged by self-doubt. Adult coloring books and doodling are great ways to overcome the fear of failure and stress of perfectionism and to get back to doing something artistic. They are a great first step in tapping into the creativity that is inside all of us.

The benefits of meditation are now being proven scientifically; it can actually change the pathways in our brain from negative thinking to positive (1). The basic idea of meditation is to quiet our busy minds and be in the moment. This creates a space within that is calm, open and rejuvenating. Depending on one’s beliefs, meditating can help to be more in tune with our intuition, our true self, divine power or soul. Mediation can be done passively by sitting and following the breath, reciting a mantra or prayer but it can also be done actively. Activities like drawing, knitting, gardening, running, yoga or walking the dog, when done mindfully, can take us to that meditative state. I myself have found that I need to switch it up, depending on my state of mind and current stresses; different kinds of mediation benefit me in different ways.

For some that first step is enough but for others there is an inkling to want to do more. Some people find drawing comes naturally just as some people are natural athletes. Just because one isn’t going to become a professional athlete does not mean that they do not need to exercise, likewise, just because one isn’t going to be the next Rembrandt it does not mean they should not do art. In both cases they will reap the benefits but adults need to be conscious of their perfectionist parts and look at each drawing as an exercise, a baby-step in the right direction. It’s OK to not like every drawing, it is in the doing that the benefits lay and we will find that, just as in exercising regularly, we will see and feel the results.

As adults we tend to put other things like work and family before our own needs without realizing that we need to nurture ourselves to be our best for others. Learning something new and challenging ourselves throughout our adult lives is what is going to keep us young and our brains sharp. If there is a nudging voice that wants you to try art but another one that that shuts it down, thank that second voice for its concern and take that next baby-step; remind yourself that art is fun, it isn’t a frivolous waste of time, it’s good for our brain, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and that it may be just what your soul needs.

References: (1) Alice G. Walton, “7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain”, Forbes/Pharma and Healthcare. February 9, 2015.  

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/#6a6268807023

Everyone Can Learn to See and Draw

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Drawing realistically requires looking at real things…It sounds obvious and simple but most students at every level need to be reminded at times not only to do this but how to do this. That’s because looking, really seeing and translating what you see onto paper is a complex activity. This is a skill which can be learned just like reading, music or dance. In order to do this we also need to take into account what kind of learner we are and overcome the brains tendency to want to simplify and categorize things as well.

According to Howard Gardner author of several books on Multiple Intelligences there are 8 Basic Intelligences. These intelligences are present in each of us at varying degrees and must be considered for something to be taught successfully. Visual learners find the drawing process natural. They either already are doing the process unknowingly or once shown the concepts or reminded of them can progress quickly and move onto advancing their skills with different media and subject matter. Non-visual learners need the process broken down in a way they can understand. They may need a little more time and practice, they may need to experience the seeing and interpreting in a different way. Non-visual learners also tend to be more impatient, critical and frustrated with their drawing.

All types of learners benefit from breaking down the process into steps and learning to look at and see things differently. It is a skill, though, that for every student takes practice, trial and error, dissatisfaction and the desire to learn more while letting go of judgment and competition. Drawing at the start involves line, shape, light and shadow, color, negative and positive space then with experiencemore subtleties can be considered such as movement, atmosphere, balance, tone, texture, perspective, focus, reflected light/color and more. There are different ways to teach drawing from “sink or swim” to highly technical instruction (in my art school career I have experienced many of them) but I have found the method that Mona Brookes has developed for drawing with children and beginning adults a method that integrates different kinds of learners and breaks down the beginning process in a way that fosters understanding and success at any age.

I include a number of resource pictures of whatever subject we are drawing in class as well as ideas for backgrounds. If students want to add something else to their picture I encourage them to look up images to draw from rather than draw from memory or imagination because without a reference we tend to go to our brains simplified categorized symbol of an object. The internet is a wonderful source for images to draw. I also want to encourage students and parents to notice things in nature and their everyday activities…How does a flower or branch really grow? Are all leaves, flowers and branches the same shape? How does a light affect the shape of the shadow of a coffee mug or how does the shape of the rim change from different angles? Notice the color of a tree that’s wet or that all trees aren’t green and brown or the same shade of green and brown. Is the sky always blue? Are pumpkins always round and orange? It doesn’t have to be anything in particular just look, notice and really see. Everyone in life and art, even experienced artists, sometimes need a reminder to not take things for granted and not make assumptions but to see with fresh eyes the things around us.

Resources:

Mona Brookes, Drawing with Children, New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 1996.

Howard Gardner is the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

There is No Right or Wrong Way to Do Art and the Risks of Saying "Good Job"

                          Henri Matisse "Two Figures in a Landscape", 1921

If you have gone to art museums or galleries you will notice that you will see everything you could possibly imagine and you may not like all that you see. Everyone likes something different so praise,  judgment or competition has no place in an art class. In my art classes I try to eliminate words like: Good, Bad, Better, Best and Mistake. I will not give my opinion of a student's drawing, I will give praise on their willingness to try something and advice about skills such as accurate perspective proportion or color theory but it's totally up to the student to do what they want to do. I encourage student's to look and learn from each other but do not allow them to comment on each other's work. Many famous artists have done masterpieces without accurate perspective or proportion. Student's need to learn to draw for themselves.  If they do not like something they need to learn how to change it or accept it, grow and move on. Self esteem does not come from praise, it comes from accomplishment and solving problems.

Student's also need to realize it's OK not to like their drawing and that it's no big deal. They need to get used to only liking some parts of a drawing and learning how to make changes or start over. Even professional artists don't like all their work and it's not a good idea to try to give praise or talk a student into liking something they do not like. From his article "Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job", parenting and education author, Alfie Kohn says, “Good job!” doesn’t reassure children; ultimately, it makes them feel less secure."  It makes them feel manipulated and undermines interest and achievement. In regards to your children's artwork, rather than say "good job," it's much more constructive to provide feedback not judgment by saying what you see or to asking questions: "That's a colorful bird!", "Wow, you used a lot of pink in your picture!" or ask "What is your favorite part?", "How did you figure out how to draw this part?"

This doesn't mean encouragement and support is bad and all compliments and expressions of delight are harmful. We need to be more mindful though of the motives behind them and if they are actually helping the student become independent and motivated.

Resources:
Kohn, Alfie , Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job" , September 2001. http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/five-reasons-stop-saying-good-job/

Mona Brookes, Drawing with Children, New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 1996.
 

Art and the Importance of Unplugging

In this fast-paced age of technology, the need to unplug, slow down and recharge is more important than ever. Our society is becoming more and more reliant on and addicted to our devices. As adults we can understand the need for balance in our lives but children don't always have that perspective and are much more susceptible to becoming addicted, especially under the age of 10. Most parents remember a time when they didn't have their nose constantly buried in a glowing screen, when things were not instant and you had to create your own fun. Whether it was building a fort, inventing a game, reading or making a "real" book, personalizing your bike or skateboard or cracking open a brand new big box of Crayola crayons (the one with the sharpener) and using every single color, we were problem-solving and creating something.

As a tool for creativity and learning, technology can be extraordinary but even then discretion needs to be used with students to not skip crucial steps of cognitive and social development. Children now use tablets and computers all day long at school, where test scores are the goal but art and music are not valued for their own sake. Surprisingly, Steve Jobs was a low-tech parent and many other tech CEO's adamantly limit their children's screen time based on their age. All agreed though, regardless of age, to absolutely no screens in the bedroom (Bilton)

An important part of learning and growing comes from struggling with a new task or material, focusing and problem solving, being inspired by others and finally gaining confidence by achieving and creating something new. Summer is a great time to take a technology break and PrairieArt Studio offers many opportunities, with camps and classes, for students of all ages to develop their creative side.

Source(s): Bilton, Nick. "Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent." nytimes.com. The New York Times. September 10, 2014. Web. May 22, 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/fashion/steve-jobs-apple-was-a-low-tech-parent.html?_r=0>