When our oldest son, Peter, was still a pre-teen, we gave him an old video camera. Little did we know the doors that camera would unlock in Peter’s life! The freedom and creativity he discovered through filmmaking opened the doors of his imagination in every area of study.
Today, Peter is a professional filmmaker. He has found his niche in writing scripts and filming and directing projects. Some of his work includes his multi-award winning film, In My Seat and my personal favorite, Love Notes, starring his sister, Emma. If you haven’t seen his work, please take a moment to enjoy these samples!
Peter has some great thoughts about children and creativity, so today, I’ve given him my blog space. I know you’ll enjoy what he has to share and I’m sure he’ll return again with even more food for thought!
We live in a STEM culture. It seems that every children show, every curriculum package, and every learning initiative is focused on Science, Technology, and Math. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I think STEM is very important. If we can’t master these areas we will fall behind in the global market. However, as an artist, I would like to talk about why it is important to keep encouraging the arts for our kids.
REASON #1
ART BROADENS THE IMAGINATION.
Albert Einstein summed this up when he said “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Imagination opens up the limitless bounds of the human spirit. And promoting the arts to your kids will help them to create the next big thing.
REASON #2
ART CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
Art draws people together. Great art motivates people to act. If we want our children to be agents of change and culture shifters, what better way to communicate that than with Art. It is well said, “A picture says a thousand words.”
REASON #3
ART CAN CALM AN ANXIOUS HEART.
According to the Mayo clinic, one of the best ways to combat anxiety and depression is to engage in art. Whether its painting, filming, or graphic design, art is a way to express our emotions.
There are so many other reasons, but these three for me are the ones that motivate me to keep art alive in my home. Check back soon for a follow up post talking about ways to introduce your kids to the arts.
Peter
Megan Scheibner 