Technology is a great thing, but it seems to be replacing some old fashioned activities, which kept kids occupied and connected. Gone are the days when kids rode bikes, skated and played games with their siblings and friends, all informal and spontaneous. Rainy days created some interesting arts & craft projects using everyday household items and a lot of imagination.
Imaginations were stimulated by visual media: movies, TV and BOOKS, the latter requiring the most effort and/or enjoyment. I often remember watching a movie after reading the book only to find myself disappointed in the movie, preferring my own inner vision. As we read through the book, our very own personal imagery is at work conjuring up the vivid images of the characters, scenery and other details of the story. That stimulation could inspire us in many ways to help us think creatively.
There was something so exciting about reading a book. If new, it had a wonderful crispness and smell of freshly printed ink on paper. That wonderful sound as you crack the spine at initial opening. If an older volume, there was a history to all it’s years of handling by so many other readers. Often I would wonder who those readers were and if they felt the same way about the story as I did. And of course that wonderful smell of old paper and the bookstore itself. All thoughts encouraging imagination, again.
Our newest class ‘COVER 2 COVER’ will encourage kids to write and illustrate their own stories! They will learn how to develop stories, inspiring their imagination and creativity as they learn and further increase both writing and drawing skills. Thee classes will be held on Wednesdays at 4:30 – 6:00 and are for ages 8 to 14.
Imagination creates art, music, literature and other venues critical to a culture. These venues can open our minds and stimulate us into thinking of the many possibilities out there in our lives. For our children there are rules in math, spelling and scientific procedures, but the arts offer an outlet for our own uniqueness. As kids mature the arts offer another advantage – a venue in which to take safe risks in offering their views to others through non-traditional use of the chosen medium: a new style of music, unusual use of colors in graphics or photos, a unique style of writing, setting them apart from others.
We should celebrate those musical notes playing in our heads as we create a melody, the words we choose for verse in a song or story, and the colors, shapes and textures we visualize for our painting or sculpture. They offer us joy, excitement, tranquility and much more, a way to connect to each other.
Marlene Bohnyak
Owner/Instructor, Artisan Studio