Making Art is the Key to Liberation

I watched a Ted Talk this morning by a lovely author, Amie McNee explaining the importance of art and creativity for 15 minutes. She spoke to deep places of my soul that yearns to make more art. Watch the video here:

I spent many years of my life processing my emotions by painting abstract art with acrylics. The walls in my home and workplace are covered in art - mostly mine, but not all. I have filled KindKin with a vast array of materials for the young people to explore on a whim. I watch them create jewelry with beads, wire and found objects. They create cardboard houses with tape, felted creatures and markers. Sewing an image in their mind into stuffed animals with felt, embroidery floss and stuffing we repurposed from a pillow. Painting and repainting over canvas, cardboard and wood. Exploring clay, collaging from magazine cut outs, pom creatures and pipe cleaner people. I have the privilege of watching these young people explore their interests, make a ton of art and play, play play. 

We are a productivity based culture. We value people based on their jobs, income and how much they contribute to society through their paid work. We think it’s perfectly acceptable for children and retirees to craft, write and create but the rest of life is supposed to be a struggle. WORK. WORK. WORK. We don’t have time to create! We can’t possibly play – that is for the youth. But how do we feel through all this work? Are we fulfilled? Are we playing? Are we creating? Most of us are not and that is a travesty to us today and the future generations. 

“We’re in a culture of being only consumers. And all we do is just consume, consume, consume. And we’re being overfed with content and overfed with just information and the news…We’re not synthesizing any of the information. We’re not processing any of our emotions…So we need to move away from a culture of consumption back to our roots as humans. To a culture of creation…When we learn that we can create and make and use our voices, we find a lifeboat in the storm. We find purpose and agency and realize that there are things to do. And our voice is important. We can make sense of a lot of the grief and pain that we consume when we put it back into our art. It’s a processing tool that’s just been thrown out the window, and we need to process more than ever.” -Amie Mcnee

Yet even children are not excluded from productivity culture. Even children are expected to work but their job is “school.” Adults often don't feel comfortable watching young people play and create all day. “But what are they learning???” they ask. I don’t know about you but when I look at the problems today I don’t see it being an academic issue. I see young adults who struggle with social skills, apathy, low ambition, etc… and can’t these all be related to a serious lack of art and play? 

“Never has there been a more critical need for innovation as the primary rationale for education; the world’s problems today demand it. Creativity—innovation—involves experimentation, risk-taking, failures. Failure is essential to the creative process, in forcing both trial after trial to perfect the end result, and the perseverance necessary to do so. 

Our society badly needs innovators, engineers, architects, designers, researchers, inventors, thought-leaders, and scientists. Everyone is creative. Let's keep it flowing.”

-Judy Arnall

Judy Arnall shares 5 ways unschooling develops creativity in this article: https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/amazing-ways-that-unschooling-develops-childrens-creativity/

Here is an abridged version of her writing:

1. No plan, template, model, image or expectation is preconceived

Templates lead children down the tried and true path meant to result in a preconceived outcome. In unschooling, kids are encouraged to come up with original ideas.

2. More freedom with resources and supplies

Unschoolers are in the enviable position of being able to purchase interesting materials for their projects, or even rummage through attics or scavenge through sewing rooms or garages to find things to complete their projects or fuel their creativity.

3. Unlimited time

To be creative, the brain needs downtime. 

4. Mistakes are celebrated

We have all seen little children try to hold a heavy project together with a little piece of tape or a spot of glue. It takes a lot of messing around to figure out what will work. Ideas flow when they are not weighted in evaluation. 

5. Self-esteem is nurtured

The ability to make mistakes and learn from them is an essential component of creativity and risk-taking. Kids with healthy self-esteem will take risks and not be afraid of failing. We need kids to be able to say, “Oh well. That didn’t work. Let’s try this...” The ability to pick themselves up and try again is critical to attaining success in their careers and in their lives.

I have many more thoughts on this subject but alas, I want to go sew. Thanks for reading. 

-Jess