Create

I’ve been conscious recently that the girls have had very little exposure to art, and particularly painting, this year, because the curriculum is crammed with academic activity and learning French, and their teacher isn’t particularly interested in or comfortable with art (though to her credit she does do singing with the kids). I have become concerned about it: I have a feeling that creativity is as essential as play in early childhood development. So I offered to help out in the classroom doing painting on my day off. I’ve asked Heidi to do painting with the girls every fortnight at least (I’ll have to remind her about that as there are some barriers there too). I’ve also been talking to as many parents as I can about it and whether they would like some painting to be done, and the vast majority are supportive; one parent pointing out that there is little joy in learning for her daughter in the classroom and painting would be fun.

I’ve been wondering how best to raise the issue with the school to bring about change in the curriculum across the primary school, not just my girls’ class. Should I email the principal and ask parents if they are happy to be named in the letter? Do I have time to write in the closing weeks of the school year, including some research on the benefits of art, or would it be more effective next term when everyone is feeling more fresh and motivated? Should I do what some parents are doing and enrol the girls in art classes after school, or make an effort to do art and craft with them myself?

We are at the beach this weekend – so relaxing – and I look at the patterns made by knobbly seaweed, sparkly grains of sand, molluscs and sea creatures which look from a certain distance like Aboriginal paintings, so lovely in their repetitions and rhythms. I’ve taken up my own form of creativity again playing the piano three nights a week, and am finding satisfaction and pleasure in mastering the Bach Inventios (easy ones) and Brahms Intermezzo pieces that I have played before. They are beautiful and a pleasure to play. I think it’s a good thing that the girls understand what practising an instrument means through hearing me practise like this too. I haven’t managed to find them a recorder teacher this year – I hope I can find them one next year. Rhea has expressed an interest in learning the violin but I’d like her to master the recorder first.

I have a friend from school who believes that humans need to be creative to be happy. It’s a theory that sounds right to me. Very old cultures certainly have a key role for art as part of everyday life.

I think I will do something to raise the issue at the girls’ school, plug away in the classroom and make an effort at home. We’ll do some art at the art centre in the school holidays with the goal of the girls being happy to give it a go without complaining how bad they are at painting, and having an idea of how to draw a tree, animal or person.

I’ll create with them and encourage their creativity. I hope they come to enjoy it.

*Note: this painting of a horse was done by Steve painting the head and front legs under duress using a You Tube video and Rhea painting the back legs.