In a society where subjects like math, science, and language are given priority, why should art be just as important?
Give a 4-year-old child some colours and they will start scribbling something on the floor, paper, or wall. It’s their instinct and they love doing so.
Art has always been man’s primary mode of documentation, recollection, and language. It is evident in cave paintings that date back to ten thousand years ago. We see paintings of bulls, hunting scenes, family scenes, and more which tells us that art has always existed as a medium of expression for recording moments as well as for decorating the space.
We have the instinctive nature to create something simply because we want to and because it provides us solace, peace, or happiness.
500 years ago, art was an integral part of any architecture, be it churches, temples, palaces, public buildings, etc. Students as young as 10 received elaborate education in art so that they could become masters and produce some of the most extraordinary masterpieces we see today.
Today, though there is no need for art to be part of the same spaces, artists continue to practice art because it acts as a medium of communication where words fail. Today, many people resort to art as a form of therapy because the act of creating something(painting, drawing, pottery, embroidery) is proven to not only the mind, but also the nervous system, be it painting, drawing, pottery, or embroidery.
When a child engage in art activities, it helps them develop a kind of communication that enables them to express their emotions, feelings, and ideas better than words. Art has been proven to improve focus, mental health, and cognitive abilities, and enhance the creative side of the brain. Just colouring on the paper has been shown to improve certain functions of the brain.
Drawing helps in the motor skills of the hands and improves hand-eye coordination. Drawing complex lines and shapes requires a lot of focus and dexterity more than writing, so it is also a good exercise for the brain.
Functional benefits aside, learning art enables children to discover, explore, and learn more about the world & themselves outside of life’s necessities. At Ekya Schools, we provide art education with specific goals that include improving motor skills, hand dexterity, creative thinking, observational skills, and more.
Ms Rakshitha S, Fine Artist, Art Educator