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Collectives
developed around the Creative Sprit and Art
Introduction:
This lesson
is about exploring the creative spirit and requires students to
examine their beliefs about art. Allow the lesson to flow accordingly.
If interest is moving in a specific direction, it is up to the
teacher to find related resources and empower students in decision
making. Above all, it should stimulate, challenge
and invigorate thinking about the “true nature of
art” and ultimately about the students themselves as artists.
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Talking
Circle -
choose several of the following topics to discuss as a group.
What is creativity? Can it be made stronger? Who do you
perceive as being creative and why? What helps you become
more creative? Why are businesses now bringing in creativity
consultants? How can this help you in your everyday life?
What is art? How can you define art? Who is artistic? What
is aesthetics?
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What
is the Creative Spirit?
What is Art?
The students have gone through many exercises, assignments and
intense units of study. Now it’s time to play for awhile
and find ideas. The ability to be playful is an important quality
in the making of art. Trusting instincts. Exploring ideas. Taking
risks. Trying again and again.
Art comes through a synthesis of all you know intellectually,
understand intuitively, feel through experience and feelings,
and perceive through your beliefs.
Activities
"Getting Ideas"
The
following activities lead the student through a process for developing
ideas. Use a combination of exercises to explore ideas and inspiration:
Activity 1 - Personal Survey of Beliefs:
Have
students complete these statements on scrap paper.
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I
really like these things about myself ....
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I
wish I could change .....
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I
am most worried about .....
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I
am most excited about ....
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I
am most creative when ...
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I
feel most vulnerable when ....
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People
in this world need to remember ..... (10 - 15 min.)
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Activity 2 - Let Your Mind Wander:
Play
interesting
music - try to find pieces they will not have heard previously
(instrumental is recommended). Make the room comfortable
and set out a variety of art materials and various sizes
of paper. Do not allow any talking during the exercise.
Play the music, focus on the moment, and doodle. Do not
try to make it look like anything in particular, do not
plan the drawing, do not analyze it - just “do it”.
Ask them to pay attention to the sounds, how it makes
them feel, does it suggest certain lines or textures?
(15 min.)
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Activity 3 - Reflection:
Ask
students to share the personal survey and the doodle with
one another as a basis for discussion. There needs to be a
high level trust among the group in order to share their answers.
There is no need to comment on each other's answers, ask them
to just listen. The person speaking may allow questions to
be asked if he or she chooses. The exercise should help build
a stronger group dynamic.
(10-15
min.)
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Activity 4 - Explore
through Improv:
Give
the students the following instructions for improvisation:
1.
Start a scene from a suggestion from the group (or use the
personal survey as a starting point for ideas) - at any
time, anybody may call FREEZE and go in and change it subtlety
by adding in a new dimension, or by changing the objective.
(10 min.)
2. Group Improv: start a scene and add in characters until
everybody is in the scene - at any point call out FREEZE
and ask one to do an internal monologue.
(8 min.)
3. In partners discuss a scene with lots of conflict, where
might it be set? Try the scene and at any point the audience
can call FREEZE and make a suggestion for change, then let
it continue. (10 min.)
4. Start the scene with a phone, call someone and they then
call the next person, and on down the line until the first
person is called in the end to bring it full circle. (Time
depends on the size of the class)
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Activity 5 - Writing:
An
excellent book is Writing down the Bones, by Natalie
Goldberg, for creative writing memory exercises. Use descriptions,
settings, dreams as a starting point. Use journals to track
ideas and concepts connected to discussions or other stimuli.
(Time depends on the activities chosen)
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Activity 6 - Make a Mask:
Use
paper mache to create a character larger than life, or explore
some other new or recycled material in a new way. The point
is to make something - a visual manifestation of an
idea. (180 min., spread out for time to dry mache)
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Activity 7 - Create a Soundscape:
Use
instruments, found objects (things not originally intended
for music like a hub cap) or fragments of audio recordings
to create a "soundtrack" for a concept. It does
not need to be specifically musical , but rather, it may
simply explore sound. What happens when you layer sounds?
Can you use sound in such a way as it is not easily recognizable?
How can voice be used to create effects?
Ask
each student to create a brief soundscape on his or her
own and play it for the class. (Presentation time approx.
2 min. per student) This may be given as bonus work or homework.
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Activity 8 - Choreography:
Movement
is a form of communication. The body can be used to express
delicate nuances of emotion as well as powerful statements
of belief. Choreograph movement to express an idea or to illustrate
a point. Develop a series of movements to create an expression
of ideas. (30 min.)
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Activity
9 - Journal:
Discuss the following topics as a group and have students
record their personal responses in their journals.
• What does it mean “to be free of narration and
plot”? • If you avoid these constructs, where does
it leave the artist?
• What are some "universal themes"?
• Explain the Dadaist approach to creation.
• Discuss the “purpose” of art. Is there a
wrong answer to the question? (20 min.) |
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