Teach Through Art

The boxes from my memory! (photo from https://creativity.org/mystery-box-challenge-2/)

Introduction

“What is your favorite childhood memory?” Recently, I was asked this question. Being only sixteen, I was surprised to hear someone asking me this and had never really thought about my answer. However, the first thing that came to mind was a Saturday when I was about four years old. I remember starting off the day going down these super long metal slides that were terrifying, then going into this museum that is the place of one of my happiest memories.

At this museum, there was a room with an array of boxes and various levels of prompts. I remembered choosing a box with my mom and aunt and working together to try to meet the goal the prompt gave us from random materials in the box.

In response to what my favorite memory is, my quick answer was a vague summary of this day; however, when I really reflect on this memory, I think this genuinely is one of my favorite moments, and for various reasons.

Community

First, this memory marks a sense of community that these boxes created for me. I learned and practiced teamwork. Every idea was a good idea, and through these boxes I was able to experience what it means to literally and figuratively build off the ideas of a group for the goal of the group. Equally important, I was exposed to what healthy and productive competition is, which has allowed me to contribute more to the communities I am a part of more positively. After working together to build the prompt, we each got our own box and did a group competition where the museum facilitator would judge whose fit the best. Being in an environment where everyone was simply trying their best and a hundred percent focused on the present, I learned how to simply enjoy the process of the art and not focus too much on the final results that the facilitator would decide on. Additionally, despite competing with one another, my aunt, mom, and I all tried to use inspiration from one another and give feedback. Plus, art is subjective, so I learned how to objectively lose while still winning personally and learning to appreciate the process.

Independence

This day marks a sense of independence art created for me. While artists might gain experience and build technique over time, ideas can’t be ranked by seniority. By being able to contribute to the ideas of adults I looked up to and feel my ideas were valued equally, I learned to always believe in my ideas and believe in myself. As I mentioned, we also ended up working on our own boxes. By being able to see myself doing the same things as adults, I experienced that I did not have to simply watch adults, but I could participate too. This translated to other activities beyond art, which has been really helpful in believing in myself when no one else does, as well as to not depend heavily on the validation of others.

An instruction manual? — No need!

It built up my ability to problem solve without relying on an instruction manual. Nowadays, everything we do is very structured. Want to learn how to cook? There’s a step by step video you can watch that will tell you every step, every measurement, and every detail. Want to learn math? Apps teach you every step to learn and catch every mistake. Practically every step of life has a video, manual, app, or instructions. While much more convenient, the learning process and mistakes that come with simply going through the raw experience are filtered out, removing a lot of the opportunities for individual thinking. Even going outside without a planned activity can feel unnatural to many people. This extends to art. There are so many art kits with instructions that replicate the picture on the box detail for detail. Legos have instruction manuals now. To paint you can even paint by number. Ironically, space nowadays can seem restricting. However, by engaging in a project where there was no instruction manual to turn to, I learned to build a mindset that allowed for the unplanned to be freeing, not confusing, restricting or boring.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this memory reflects some of my biggest values and characteristics as a person. I learned to grow up and build habits that prioritize being a community player, while also valuing my own ideas as an individual, and problem solving without relying on the immediate instruction manual. In many ways, these results are an outcome of the privilege and people who surrounded me. While I experienced this memory at a museum, art in many ways has very universal qualities. 

Art can bring people viewers together by uniting over shared emotions. A “winner” in art does not mean as much as it might in a sport since it is arguably subjective. This can promote collaboration and create an environment of support, reinforcement, and inspiration.

Art also has so many different forms. Everybody has their own personal strengths and with so many different opportunities to improve, people can learn that once they commit to their ideas they can make those dreams reality. Even the smallest of achievements can cement individuality and belief in one’s self.

Finally, art doesn’t need an instruction manual. Sure, there are kits that teach how to build a toy, but a lot of the time, the most creativity comes from expanding beyond the manual or starting a project from scratch. This means that anyone can stretch their imagination in any instance.