As hectic as the day can be, taking time to undo the damage that persistent stressors cause on our mind and bodies is essential. Personally, I am encouraged by the research about the way making artwork can benefit the mind and body. While some can meditate in the traditional sense, I can not. My mind is fast paced, full of ideas, and hard to quiet. The arthritis has slowed down physically over the past twelve years, but mentally my mind is set on the "Go!" setting while I am awake. The closest I get to meditation, or the "pause" button, is when I physically crash and need sleep, which happens with the RA more often than it does with healthy people. When immersed in artwork, however, the hands take over and the physical memory of stitching, sewing, cutting, pasting, drawing, and painting takes on some of that busy energy.
I am trying to teach my middle school students about this feature of making artwork, too. As we study the Renaissance in 7th Grade Art and focus on observational drawing, I am trying to make them aware of the relaxation piece of creating, and they are very responsive. The push to make art a more academic subject threatens to diminish this wonderful aspect of creating, and I get more concerned every year. Having objective standards by which to judge subjective experience is nonsensical.
Wouldn't it be great if people were trained from a young age to relax and create art in the same manner they are encouraged to exercise their bodies in Physical Education class? Teach them to unwind mentally as well as physically? I grew up that way (pre-video game and cable era!) and it still serves me well. How many people are missing out on the meditative powers of creating because life is too filled with digital, occupational, and societal demands? Hmmmm....a little bit of babble this morning, well, a lot of babble, but it is food for thought. Off to the races where my classroom will be filled six times with twenty five kids on a short period schedule of 38 minutes each. Tall about fast paced!!
What will you make today? Hopefully something enriching, meditative, and enjoyable. Cheers.