Arts and Crafts are expressions of concepts in life done
creatively. Arts and crafts can be presented in a way that
teaches life skills. With some forethought, we can
incorporate middos training into the afternoon arts
and craft hour at home. Art can be a tool to train a child
to improve his character traits and self-confidence. We know
that middos are the measure of our character: our
thoughts, actions and moral values. We also know that these
are also our relationship to Hashem, others and ourselves.
A Jewish person's character is not static. We are expected to
try for higher goals and refinement. Perfection of our
personalities and self-control is a constant goal. It is the
process of introspection combined with Torah values to direct
us. Both are precious possessions and yet can be difficult to
attain. It is best to instill good middos in young
children so that they will be ingrained in all they do. Art
can be helpful since it involves a discipline when a child is
doing art work, even if he doesn't like what he is doing.
Children (and adults) get frustrated when drawing and want
perfection. They want to erase and erase and erase. But all
drawing is really a practice for another drawing. It involves
learning skills for life that have to do with attitudes and
thinking.
HERE ARE SAMPLE LESSONS FROM ART THAT OPEN AWARENESS OF GOOD
MIDDOS IN A CHILD:
1. Grades: Art is not for the sake of grades or to be
competitive with each other. It is to bring out the
preciousness of the individual, just as kindness is not for
the sake of the reward but rather to encourage the best in
the child. Children can test and compete only against
themselves. Our real grade is based on how hard we tried and
the hurdles that we overcame (in our art work). Art lessons
can be a time to learn not to be judgmental and critical of
each other's art work but rather to see the good in it.
2. Conservation: Don't waste. It is the nature of children to
use lots of paper when drawing and throw it away when they
don't like the results or make a mistake. Let them redo it a
bit, try to use the mistake and not give up. An unwanted line
next to the head of a drawing of a girl can be continued and
made into a sunset, a ribbon in her hair, shaded or colored
over. Or turn the paper upside down and ask what it looks
like. Finish this upside down picture until it is complete.
Do you think anyone will guess its humble beginnings?
3. Convert negative into positive. Try not to use erasers. Or
rather, use erasers as a drawing tool. Instead of erasing a
dark line, put in a light line with one. Turn a liability
into an asset. Use the eraser as a drawing tool to erase in
light from the dark or shaded area. Draw with the side of the
pencil until an area about three by five inches is shaded in.
Now instead of drawing in lines, erase in lines. They will be
lighter than the surrounding area.
4. Be Real. Realism in art is not only being able to
perfectly render a drawing of an object as it looks in life.
Realism is being true to yourself and your own style and
using your imperfections positively to the maximum. Go
against the kind of negativity that leads to perfectionism
which is self-limiting. Make mistakes, experiment. Nobody is
judging you.
Relax and see what comes out from within spontaneously. Try
different styles until you find what you are comfortable
with. Copy or imitate other art work that is appealing. Or
make up something inspiring and share it with others. We all
make mistakes and we all have opportunities to improve and
correct ourselves. In drawing, we make mistakes and use the
next opportunity to make a change. This is called
improvement. Perfectionism inhibits improvement.
5. The Ruler. It is not necessary to have perfectly straight
lines. A ruler is a tool but don't be a slave to it. Art
lessons are not the same as other school subjects. Learn to
draw freehand. Bend your elbow. Keep your hand in a constant
drawing position holding the pencil. Use your shoulder to
swing your arm and hand back and forth from the top of the
page to the bottom to make a line. Repeat.
6. Simplicity. There can be great beauty in a simple pencil
drawing. Tznius is simplicity. There is no need for
flashy, glittery color or design. A pencil drawing can reveal
sensitivity and levels of observation. It allows for a
variety of pressures and therefore, many gradations of darks
and lights. Sensitivity in drawing can help one notice
subtleties in life. Not everything is black and white. The
more one recognizes the beauty in the simple things in life,
the less one may be drawn to false glitter.
7. Planning. Drawing is planning, making associations and
thinking about the outcome of our choices. A drawing is done
in stages. Composition and placement, choice of shapes,
shades, colors, line variation are part of the thinking
process. There is an amount of pre-planning and visualization
in any art work. A child who learns to plan in advance and
chooses the possible outcome of his actions increases the
development of the power of the imagination. The power behind
combining forms into images helps man to envision what lies
before him.
8. Satisfaction. Art can be an outlet for accomplishment that
leads to satisfaction, especially for children having
difficulty in other areas in school. Young children who have
not mastered language or who have trouble expressing
themselves can use art and drawings to show us what they want
to tell us about their world.
A picture is worth countless words. The satisfaction from
communicating and from accomplishing a nice drawing means a
lot to a child. Satisfaction is one of the foundations to a
healthy self-confident child.
9. Focus in the moment. Be fully aware of each moment, each
line you draw and each nuance. Put yourself in the picture,
temporarily, as if it is real time and space. Time takes on a
different dimension. Later when you are davening,
apply this idea. Try to put your focus inside of the holy
words and make your intention to stand before HaKodesh Barach
Hu clear and complete.
10. Appreciation. Sensitivity from art develops our
appreciation of small details as well as the whole picture.
Our eyes can be trained to see more than we are accustomed to
noticing. Art can be a time for children to experience the
joys of creativity so they can be made aware of the greatness
and value of Hashem's creations. Art appreciation is really
the appreciation of the wonders of creation even as man tries
to imitate them. Good middos take time to develop.
There is room for flexibility and guidance. Art time is
growth time. Learn good Jewish values and middos while
expressing them through art.
Project: Illustrate a middoh and its opposite Ask a
child to choose one of the following middos adjectives
and nouns and its meaning to him/her: big; brave; confident;
compassionate; just; joyful; kingly; moral; noble; yiras
Shomayim; patience; humility; honesty; modesty;
quickness.
Fold a A4 paper lengthwise in half. On one half-draw your
idea of the word and on the second half draw its opposite.
Example: a king and a slave. A happy person and a sad person.
Always remember not to criticize your work or your child's
work. Praise and more praise is the rule. And don't worry
about what level the child draws the picture (at least for
now.) Help him/her the best you can and enjoy the time
together.
