Make Kids Do Art: Enabling Humanity in an Age of Flux

Living as a kid now has changed drastically; especially since the pandemic when we were pushed to perform tasks remotely and bring them all to the virtual realm. Suddenly, long hours of screen time became prerequisite to adapting and living through COVID-19.  Online streaming platforms turned into major sources of entertainment while Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and Instagram replaced traditional publications for information dissemination. 

​What does ‘holistic’ mean at a time where change happens faster than saying “6-7”?

Things did not quite return to the way they were. And for children, being chronically online has become indispensable which exposes them to new, heightened risks previous generations have not faced.

Research has shown that children today are alarmingly more prone to being exposed to harmful content and cyberbullying, and to developing mental health problems, impaired social development, and reduced cognitive function such as focus, attention, and memory.  

Additionally, we have a growing generation of digital natives who could benefit from learning more practical life skills and having overall balance in their wellbeing–two core components for thriving. ​

Parents know this and we can tell from the kinds of inquiries we receive which echo a similar desire for their kids to do activities that are more embodied and active (especially in the summer) to lessen screen time. They are keen to develop their kids holistically as they address the same concern: What does ‘holistic’ mean at a time where change happens faster than saying “6-7”?
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Making art–a stalwart of the humanities–addresses contemporary issues of parenting and child development. Setting aside time regularly to paint, draw, build, and sculpt at an early age benefits children more than what one may think.

1. Art hones fine motor and sensorial skills.

​Tasks as simple as tying shoelaces, folding clothes, and buttoning shirts take a bit of effort for kids who are only learning to control and coordinate the small muscles that make up their hands. The best way to prepare them for the skills required for menial tasks is through what is called “guided play”.

Art-making drills the hands, fingers and eyes whenever kids scribble, press, roll, stick, draw and paint–some of the many techniques in art that support fine motor development. When children use big and small hand and arm movements in art, they also learn to control pressure and grip, while learning visual and spatial awareness.
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Art exposes kids to a wide array of physical properties that a tablet screen could not offer. Being exposed to different textures in the process of making art stimulates sensory learning.  Imagine a student capturing the deep shade of a burgundy red that can only be discovered by mixing red muted by a cooler blue.
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In contrast, one of our students, a well-traveled art collector, came in with the original intention of relaxing. Over time, she realized that taking art classes not only gave her the relaxation she sought, but also developed in her a sharper sense of lines and colors so that when she looked at artworks now, her personal taste became more distinct.

2. Art supports cognitive processes.

Professional artists know that creating is just as mentally laborious as it is physically. The work doesn’t begin when the brush touches the canvas. It begins with rough sketches, word vomits, and testing colors, followed by multiple improvisations until the work reaches completion.

Creating an artwork takes a great deal of creative thinking, planning, organizing, decision-making and problem-solving.  When repeated and honed, these mental processes support the brain’s executive functioning which are essential for daily life. 

When properly guided and structured, art is a powerful yet gentle method to develop thinking.  It is such a joy to see how the students who started raw and consistently learned art have now developed into strong thinkers, as reflected in how they work.

3. Art cultivates emotional intelligence.
    
It has been said, art is an instrument to express our emotions and a gateway to understand others’. Dealing with emotions can be tempestuous when kids are learning to process feelings and our reactions. Creating art is an introspective process that allows for such interiorities to surface so that we can (quite literally) observe them through the colors, shapes, rhythm and other qualities we bring to our artwork. 

Through making art, a child learns to articulate the invisible currents inside them and over time, recognizes the wrinkles that make for nuances. In one of the final works of our kids, he pointed out that he wanted to omit clouds in his mountain painting as a nod to the time he and his parents went on a trip to Japan Disneyland. He gleefully shared, “Our God blessed us with no clouds. It was only the sun and the sky!”

At this moment, we could sense his joy from this memory of something often taken for granted–a sunny sky on a day out with your loved ones. Making art out of this feeling was his way of leaning into it.

Children who cultivate belief in themselves at an early age approach challenges with curiosity rather than self-doubt, jumping back faster from mistakes and frustrations, and sustaining longer engagement in activities. 

4. Art promotes self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one’s ability to adapt, solve, and successfully attain one’s goals. 

Developing this trait in this day and age is particularly vital for kids, teens and adults alike. The deluge of online content and influencers living the aspirational life in an ‘overnight success’ can either inspire or instigate self-doubt in one’s ability to attain a satisfying, fulfilling life.  

Art-making offers a multitude of improvisations and challenges that develops trust in one’s ability to rise above–a vital component in overall wellbeing. Imagine encountering repeated fork roads as you make your artwork:  Do I abandon and start all over, or do I find ways to work around where I am stuck now? 

Children who cultivate belief in themselves at an early age approach challenges with curiosity rather than self-doubt, jumping back faster from mistakes and frustrations, and sustaining longer engagement in activities. 

5. Art honors our humanity.

Art-making is painstakingly full of processes done repeatedly, requiring patience, inexhaustible curiosity and unwavering grace for imperfections–traits that make life richer. 

Have you ever wondered why some stories and works of art move you more than others? 

Art that is honest, mirroring back parts of ourselves we find difficult to accept, reminds us that we are not alone. And while imperfections are deeply embedded in our humanity, it is the journey in and out of them that shapes us. It unveils the crevices of what it is to live in the present, to extend empathy to all of life, and to appreciate the beauty that breathes in the cycles of the natural world in which we play a vital part in. 

If we look around us, cycles of making and unmaking surround us. We are reminded that growth isn’t a linear path devoid of character and challenges. Transformation requires both deconstructing and rebuilding. 

Making art is a very human process that speaks directly to our soul, uses our brain, utilizes our senses, expresses ourselves to our community, evokes a thought or a feeling, and a manifestation of ourselves. 

Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

For the longest time, educational institutions have been the stronghold for disciplines under the humanities–philosophy, arts and literature among many others–where the latter exist and are promoted. However, with the increasing shift in priorities by institutions to cater to tech-driven courses, the reason to do art may seem even more obsolete. 

But what is in the spotlight isn’t always the most edifying. 

Making art, rather than leaving it to the mechanized systems of technology to do the work, reminds us that we are alive, beings of depth and complexity reflecting the rest of nature in the most unique way.

Enlightened parents are steps ahead in crafting a holistic life for their kids, having understood their position to shape their children to value humanity in them as they face the future challenges unbeknownst even to us.