Creativity Isn't Dead!

Thank you so much to all of the parents who came out the week before school to attend my workshop on creativity--Reimagining Creativity: Building Creative Confidence in Your Kids!

First off, all of these people are incredibly brave! I described what we would be doing in the emails I sent out, but I was deliberately vague--I didn't want to spoil the fun we'd be having or have people feel it was going to go a particular way since I wanted to leave a bit of wiggle room so that I could adapt the workshop to what the attendees needed.

All of the attendees knew me and knew I am an art teacher, so there was some intimidation that they'd be making art in front of me and others (whom they did not know). They were afraid they'd be judged! How scary is that!? But they showed up anyway!

We did create some art, but that is because sharing art is how I express myself creatively. The main goal was to get the grownups thinking about how THEY are creative (everyone is, you know!) and how THEY could apply that creativity in their lives and in their homes, jobs, etc.

It was a success, and I can't wait to hear how these parents use the insight they gained in their lives with their kiddos.

Here's what some attendees said:

"What a wonderful evening!  Thank you!  I know you think I came for you… & I did… but I came to learn too, because I know you have so much to offer.  As you know, I don't consider myself 'artsy,' but from you I learned that is not the same as 'creative.'  Thank you."--P.D., Merrimack, NH

"Tonight was so great! Thank you for putting this together!"--J.M., Pepperell, MA.

"Excellent job tonight! It was so much fun! I am so glad I know you. Thank you so much."--S.H., Amherst, NH

Fall Art Class Flyer now available!

Hello all!

I just finalized the flyer describing the Fall/Winter 2014 art classes I'll be holding in Amherst, NH this year.

So excited!

To download a copy of the flyer--so you can actually read it--click the link below to go to my GoogleDocs page...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byb1fmno7uIva05HNVVINDZyVUU/edit?usp=sharing

And NEW this year: Family Art Studio nights on the second Thursday of each month. This gives families the opportunity to relax and create art together! This is new for me, so I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

So, check out the course, and contact me if you have any questions. If you want to register, head on over to www.AmherstRec.org and do so there. I'll be updating the "Art Classes" page of my blog with this info as soon as I get a minute.

Thanks! ENJOY!!

The Heart Needs ART!

I just got home from a wonderful conference at Plymouth State University on Integrating the Arts. So awesome! I met a ton of great educators. You'll be hearing more about my findings from the conference soon since I'm taking a related course for Grad credit. Now I need to come up with a project that integrates the arts with other subjects in the curriculum...now, if you're like me, I can't teach a lesson without tripping over a dozen standards! So hopefully this integrated arts project will be fun to create!

One thing we did to wrap up the conference was that we each created a "quilt square" from a variety of media that represented something we learned at the conference. Here's mine:

It's a positive/negative space Notan that is meant to show how the arts are related and connected to one another (theater, visual arts, music & dance) and the top triangle represents one of my loves: New Hampshire! It's supposed to depict the mountains of NH--hey, I only had about 15 minutes or so! Maybe I could go as far as to say the top triangle represents the NH Common Core Standards!?! See how the Common Core standards are connected to the Arts? Man, I'm good!

But really, this image is based on something one presenter said: "New Hampshire has a long-standing tradition of a love for the arts!" And another presenter said "The Heart Needs ART!"

I'm happy to be a part such a great profession!

FYI: the quilt squares made by the conference-goers were complied into a larger paper quilt that was displayed at the performing arts center at PSU. What a great idea, huh? Having everyone create a bit of art to get them thinking about what they learned during the day. It was great to see how different all of the squares were.

So make your heart happy--and do some ART!

The 2014 AIC Reflection Quilt

Another Artsy Conference Coming Up...Even for the non-artsy!

If you are looking for a scenic drive up to Plymouth, NH this Friday as well as some professional time, try this Conference...

The Integrated Arts Conference is going to be held this Friday in Plymouth, NH at the Plymouth State University campus. The sessions look intriguing and I can't wait to check them out! 

Here's the schedule for the conference:

https://www.plymouth.edu/outreach/etc/integrated-arts-conference/2014-workshop-schedule/

And while you are there, check out Oliver! at the Silver Center (the conference is centered around this classic play).

And as for places to eat...Thai Smile on Main Street is a great choice! YUM!

See you there!