Creativity & Art Club - Art From Mistakes & Imagination! Foster Growth Mindset

WHAT IS THIS?
This club is based on the idea that some truly fun and wonderful moments happen when kids allow their imaginations free reign without any pressure to create a particular thing. 

Artists everywhere share a common trait: they experiment, make mistakes, and often find joy in the creative process. In this class, we won't follow prescribed artwork guidelines—each artist’s creations will be unique and unexpected! I use simple art prompts to inspire creativity, and we often end up weaving little stories about our artwork, which almost always leads to silliness and laughter. This is always one of my favorite half-hours of the week!

In addition to art prompts, I sometimes incorporate storytelling or wordplay prompts to help kids invent stories together, which can also serve as inspiration for their artwork.

Shy students or students who might find it more challenging to make art for fear of mistakes tend to drop their guard and enjoy themselves thoroughly when the pressure to produce has been lifted. 

Finished artworks may not be "refrigerator-worthy"—this class prioritizes the process over the product, focusing on exploration and finding joy in the unexpected. Kids might not want to keep anything but the experience itself! However, the results can be quite entertaining.

The class photo I've posted is of a young artist who kept creating for a long, long time after class was over and ended up making a huge book! 

WHAT MIGHT A SESSION LOOK LIKE?
A sample week might look like this: 
- give a prompt for kids to create a specific kind of mark or modify their paper in some way, or I might ask for a word or action that we can mix to spark a storyline.
-quick discussion of how that might inspire a project
-open work time and chatting for 20ish minutes
-we may spend the last 5-10 minutes sharing our creations, but sharing tends to happen organically throughout the class, so there may not be an official “sharing” time!

WHAT ART MATERIALS DO I NEED?
We’ll primarily use simple art materials—markers, crayons, colored pencils, construction paper, and drawing paper. We’ll often incorporate scissors, glue sticks, and tape. Students are welcome to use other materials they enjoy, such as watercolor paints. I recommend having everything on standby if you register, and I’ll let you know in advance if I plan to introduce any unexpected materials..

HOW DOES AN ONGOING CLASS WORK?
It's a subscription model—you need to subscribe to join and try the class, but it’s not a binding commitment. Students can join or leave at any time. Feel free to try a session by subscribing; if it’s a great fit for your learner, you’re welcome to keep your subscription and join us every week!

OUTSCHOOL RULES OF NOTE:
-Although siblings are welcome to share a camera, each individual learner must be registered.
-Cameras must be on to verify students in the beginning of class, and I prefer students to keep them on during class.
-Adults may be nearby, but may not appear on camera.

I hope to see your child in class!