Creativity & the Visual Arts
"Painting is just another
way of keeping a diary?
For those who know how
to read, I have painted
my autobiography"
- Pablo Picasso, 1965
As I sat down to write about creativity, I found
myself questioning how I interpret this word that
has become so frequently used in our society. It is
used to describe an aspect of the economy and
often regarded as an essential trait for success in
education and employment. But what is it about
creativity that makes it so important? The longer I
considered it, the more I found myself drawn to the
ideas of expression and communication illustrated
in Picasso?s quote. A visual artwork invites the
viewer to read symbols and search for their own
interpretation. From this perspective, creative
expression plays a meaningful role, it
communicates meaning and invites others to find
meaning; this is one reason why as educators, we
should celebrate creative expression.
A meaningful opportunity to engage in creative
expression that presents itself this month is the
Global Campus Visual Arts competition with the
Emma Corkery
Head of Art, Secondary
Teaching Fellow (Wellbeing)
BVIS Hanoi
focus of UN goals 4: Quality Education and 16:
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. As students
set about the task of visually communicating their
understanding of these goals they will go through a
process of analysis and contemplation where they
are able to consider the impact of these real-world
issues. The creative process doesn?t end with the
final entries, but rather, the creative thinking
required to change the future is enhanced by the
opportunity to contemplate, discuss, communicate
and make meaning through this opportunity for
creative expression. And don?t forget that the
process doesn?t end with your students it extends to
you as well.
If you are leading the Visual Arts competition in your
school, the NAE Art community discussion area is a
great place to share ideas and if you are looking for
websites to offer inspiration and research, the
following offer a wide range of art resources for
different age groups:
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https://artprof.org/courses/
https://www.moma.org/
http://www.tate.org.uk/kids
https://www.studentartguide.com/
https://art21.org/artists/
http://www.art2day.co.uk/