Art is Powerful. The finished product can affect the viewer, and as an artist, strong emotions can be released when you are creating, and barriers can be lifted. Art-making allows children the ability to communicate through creative expression. For some children who may not be able to articulate thoughts, sensations, emotions or perceptions, it is one way to convey what may be difficult to express with words. As Georgia O’Keeffe once said:
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
During one of our Art in Action classes at Swansea Public School, we had such an extraordinary experience with one child. This child was a new student to the school, and new, in fact, to Canada. This child had selective mutism. The teacher took me aside on the first day of class and explained that “She doesn’t speak to adults. She communicates a little with her classmates, but do not expect her to speak to you.” That day we did a class – erupting volcanoes inspired by Andy Warhol. There was a lot of creative energy in class that day – with the blowing of paint to mix red & yellow to make orange “lava” exploding and flowing out from the top of the volcano.
The next day we received an email from the child’s teacher. This child spoke to her for the very first time! The teacher explained how the student was so excited about what she did, how she wanted to explain the art-making process, proudly showed her work, and “was beaming” for the rest of the day. The memory of that always makes me so incredibly happy.
Since then we have had many teachers and parents tell us how much their students and children enjoy the art making process. This experience proves to me that sometimes, you need art to express yourself, sometimes there just aren’t words to “show” how you feel. And sometimes art can make all the difference in breaking down barriers.