Art moves and inspires people in many ways. Artists and designers use objects or even things that move them to inspire them to create amazing works of art. Somewhere along the way, art and art education lost its importance. However, in the recent years, art has gained and is continuing to gain importance. With automation and AI reducing transactional work being done by humans, humans have to evolve and think out of the box.
Here are 5 reasons why art is not just important but essential:
IMPROVES CREATIVITY
Freedom of expression is important for everyone, more so for kids. Kids who express themselves better, go on and become confident adults. Art is one of the best ways in which kids feel moved to express themselves freely. Historically art was always taught as a form of creative self-expression. Expression allows kids to explore options of how to create a piece of art from their imagination. More often than not, the choice of art, color and medium are a reflection of what their thoughts are at that point in time. Being able to replicate their thoughts on paper, will enable kids to engage their brain cells more.Creativity is often associated with right brain activity. Actively engaging in art, sharpens right brain activity, which in turn improves creativity.
IMPROVES VISUALISATION
We are always enthralled with the kind of curiosity kids show. As we move to adulthood, we feel like we have a grip of the world around us and lose that sense of curiosity. We start taking things for granted based on preconceived notions. This is the biggest creativity killer. Visual learning is crucial for kids, especially young kids. One of the ways in which visual learning can be achieved is through art. Art allows them to visualize objects or even subjects around them and replicate it on paper. Asking kids to draw based on visualization is very helpful in the long term.
IMPROVES DECISION MAKING
While visualization is crucial when it comes to art, being able to compose the same on paper is equally important. This is where problem-solving and critical thinking skills gain importance. Art strengthens these skills in kids when they have to take a decision on how to draw, where to draw and what to remove. Before they complete the artwork, their mind would have gone through several stages of critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making. Hence, the more kids are involved with art, the more likely that they develop these skills.
IMPROVES FOCUS
Off late, one of the key issues emerging in our discussions with parents is that their kids are not able to focus for long periods. Kids are more often than not addicted to the instant gratification provided by games / apps on mobile phones. Most parents allow the use of phones to keep children engaged. While this may be unavoidable, engaging in art on a regular basis will certainly improve focus. Sitting in one place for a given amount of time and working on completing an artwork, will calm the child’s mind and provide improved focus in the long run. Practicing a skill is important and this comes with hard work. Perseverance really pays off in the long run when your child is either facing a problem or even trying to create something new. With perseverance, comes focus! And focus is required in every field. Be it academics or otherwise.
SENSE OF OWNERSHIP
Working on a piece of art and completing it, provides the child with a sense of ownership. Drawing a crooked line or dropping a blob of paint will alter the artwork. They will learn to understand their mistakes, evaluate how to correct them or just move on. In general, they will feel accountable for it.
If you are a young parent exploring options for your child, do consider art as a must do activity in their schedule. Art does not have to be in the form of drawing or painting, it could be any other form of art as well. It is an essential skill every child should develop. The younger they are when they are initiated towards art, the better their grasp on life skills in general.
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