Creativity - Making Connections
From where I sit as the Middle School Art Educator at TBS, I see the wonder and satisfaction that exists in learning that occurs across disciplines. I watch as my middle school students not only muster up strength for the physical and mental conviction necessary to complete work that has encompassed 4-6 months (16-20 hours), but also make connections and accomplish goals in multiple disciplines to create the final pieces presented in this year's TBS Art Show.
From where I sit as the Middle School Art Educator at TBS, I see the wonder and satisfaction that exists in learning that occurs across disciplines. I watch as my middle school students not only muster up strength for the physical and mental conviction necessary to complete work that has encompassed 4-6 months (16-20 hours), but also make connections and accomplish goals in multiple disciplines to create the final pieces presented in this year's TBS Art Show.
As an art educator, I believe that the visual arts are a creative expression of our lives, communities, and cultures. I believe that every person has the right to create, to represent their perspective, simply because they are alive. In the studio, I encourage the students to pursue their interests when planning projects, allowing them to express themselves through a multitude of materials and techniques. Utilizing sketchbooks for planning and reflection, students work on their technical and organizational skills, and explore their unique life skills through words, visuals, and color. From where I sit, I see students capable of defining their interests, adapting their individual learning styles to each task, making plans, achieving goals, reflecting on their process, and redefining the assumptions they (and others) have about Visual Arts. In my students, I see people creating the ideas born of their imagination; I see artists.
"Creativity is just connecting things" - Steve Jobs
- Benicia Hill, Middle School Teaching Artist