What does spirituality mean?
It is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
Every human possess a certain spirituality in some manner. For all of time, humans have searched for a power grater than themselves. We all have questioned and formulated a belief we had or still have in the soul. Whether is through religion or some sort of life altering experience.
So, as an art educator I naturally ask the question…how do we define spirituality in the context of art education?
Or better yet…how do I explain that the two are intertwined?
We process all of life’s experiences through the mental/spiritual and material/physical. These are the yin and yang that make up existence.
When we are concerned with our soul we go on vision quests, we seek through meditation and prayer, we call to a force outside of our material world, and deep within ourselves. We have always seeked to connect to source, creator, or our definition if God.
Art is, too, this way… deep within us. Since the beginning of time we have used art to record and to express our inner thoughts and visions.
When we are concerned with our soul, a beautiful things happens… alignment. We begin to create beautiful things without a second thought. We begin to find our authentic voice, which allows us to best communicate our truth to the world.
This alignment allows for a redefining of the word art… as an expression of ones inner self, rather than only the ability to perform a skill to create something new, such as observational drawing in order to make something look realistic.
*Dive deep into the meaning of words.*
When we leave words at their base definitions, we lose a whole world of possibilities. When we dive deeper into what a word means to us, and pay more attention to the intentions behind our words…we begin to find synergy.
Art and spirituality are one in the same.
As educators we strive to assist our students in knowing themselves better, and teach them how to be creative, curious, and caring citizens. Art and Spirituality are vital parts to the human experience and should be celebrated, explored, and discovered through expressing and creating.
I would love to collaborate with you in expressing and creating a dialogue on the importance of spirituality in art education.
So, how we can assist learners of all ages to tap into their inner self to create and express themselves in whatever life experiences they have. This is the C.E.E.Q.E.R. model.
The C.E.E.Q.E.R. model is a way to use the tools around you to uncover a clearer sense of things. It stands for, Create, Explore, Experiment, Question, Express, Reflect. These 6 things bring art and science together.
Please leave your questions, comments, or ideas….lets start a conversation!
The best way to find answers is through dialogue, with others or with self.
❤🙏
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