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JULY – SEPTEMBER 2017
Your
brain
on art
THE MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHILD ART FOUNDATION
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JULY-SEPT 2017 VOL. 17, ISSUE 3, NUMBER 51
Guest editor’s corner Published since 1997,
ChildArt is a commercial-
free arts learning, self-
It is a privilege to serve as guest editor of the Arts + discovery, and global
Mind edition of ChildArt Magazine. For more than 20 education periodical
years the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) expressly written for 10 to 14 year-
has been an essential organization recognizing and olds, but useful as a teaching tool for
valuing the power and dignity of the arts for children educators and inspirational for creative
around the world. individuals of all ages. Subscribe to
This issue of ChildArt shares the marriage of ChildArt online at www.icaf.org.
the arts and brain research, a newly emerging field When a child’s creativity is ignored,
of study called neuroaesthetics. Neuroaesthetics it could be lost forever. Tax-deductible
explores the impact of the arts, architecture and music donations support children’s creative
on the human brain and behavior. The applications for and empathic development. You can
neuroaesthetics research are limitless. While there is donate online at www.icaf.org or make
so much about the brain we don’t understand, it is an your check to ICAF and mail it to: ICAF, P.
exciting time to be thinking about what is going on at O. Box 58133, Washington, DC 20037.
the intersection of the arts and brain research. I hope All rights reserved. Reproduction
the stories in health, wellbeing and learning will open of the whole or any part of the contents
your mind to the possibilities for the arts, architecture without written permission is prohibited.
and design as solutions for intractable problems, ChildArt (ISSN 1096-9020). Copyright
approaches to enhance your life and answers to 2017 International Child Art Foundation
questions long asked. (ICAF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
We are all makers, designers and creators
regardless of our age, interests, studies or career
paths. The evolution of the human species revolves
around the stories we create and share, the ways
we communicate, environments we build and
language we use. WHO WE ARE
Understanding how our brains work and how International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab)
they are sculpted and changed through art making is a multidisciplinary research-to-practice
and aesthetic experiences enables us to build a better initiative from the Brain Science Institute at
world. When we decide to create a new product, Johns Hopkins University accelerating the
design a shopping center, home or park, paint a field of neuroaesthetics. Our mission is to
room, or a million other actions, we have the ability amplify human potential.
to use what we know about how the brain works to
create smarter, more productive, creative, healing WHAT WE DO
and learning solutions. The benefits to people IAM Lab is pioneering impact-based
everywhere are beyond measure, transcending thinking, an outside-in approach to
class, gender, race and culture. health, well-being and learning.
The arts, in all forms, are not just “nice to have”
but are who we are. The field of neuroaesthetics is at HOW WE DO IT
the heart of unleashing humanity’s greatest potential. IAM Lab brings together brain scientists
and practitioners in architecture, music and
the arts to collaborate in multidisciplinary
research, foster dialogue and spur
continued innovation by sharing these
findings with a broader community.
Susan Magsamen
Executive Director
International Arts + Mind Lab Join the neuroaesthetics conversation.
Brain Science Institute www.artsandmindlab.org
facebook.com/artsandmindlab
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
twitter.com/artsandmindlab
JULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 1
HEALTH: THE ARTS HEAL US
02 04 08 10 12 14
What is Your brain A safe space High-tech healing Coloring outside Art + architecture
neuroaesthetics? on the arts to be a kid BLAM the battle lines as medicine
HEART – Save Creative Forces Johns Hopkins
The Children Hospital
WELLBEING: THE ARTS KEEP US HEALTHY
18 20 22 24 26 28
Use your hidden Developing Signs of the times The art + science A new lens on Tools for
superpowers! empathy Erin Cooper of architecture high school any trade
Richard Louv Ashfaq Ishaq Fred Marks Wide Angle Art With A Heart
Youth Media Sarah Pitcock
LEARNING: THE ARTS TEACH US
30 34 36 38 40 42
The art of Going "pro" Architecture The Hokey STEAMing The ABCs
good ideas in beats of learning Pokey: What it’s up learning of you + me
MICA OrchKids Learning really all about Destination New World Kids
Landscapes Too Small To Fail Imagination Susan Marcus
2 CHILDART ICAF.ORG
What if we told you that
the way a room or building
is designed can help you
recover from an illness or
heal more quickly? What if
we told you that you could
be more productive and
creative simply by listening
to a certain type of music?
What if you could solve conflicts or under-
stand another person’s perspective by
The Arts +
creating art? And what if you could get
better grades just by taking a walk in the Architecture, music, visual arts, digital
woods every once in a while? Well, it’s true! media, writing, dance, theatre
We are constantly interacting with the
world around us. Our five senses—hearing,
sight, touch, smell and taste—are working their essence, the arts engage the senses These questions are at the heart of neuro-
all the time. Our senses help us understand to create aesthetic experiences. And the aesthetics, an emerging discipline focused
and identify color, an item we hold, a sound term “aesthetics” doesn’t just mean that on exploring the neural processes under-
we hear. They orient us when we enter a something is beautiful, it refers to the lying our appreciation and production
new room or a new space. physical world that surrounds us. of beautiful objects and artwork and the
Our senses directly inform our brains This interaction between our brains experiences that include perception,
so we can learn, heal and grow. and the arts is what neuroaesthetics is all interpretation, emotion and action.
Since the beginning of humanity, we about. Specifically, neuroaesthetics uses The field attracts scholars from many
have been making or experiencing the brain science to understand aesthetic disciplines, including neuro and cognitive
arts, creating environments and commu- experiences at the neurological level. scientists, architects, artists, designers,
nicating our unique stories of culture psychologists, philosophers, educators and
and self. The arts affect our emotions How does the brain interpret aesthetic others. Neuroaesthetics received its formal
and feelings—they help to shape our experiences? definition in 2002 as the scientific study of
brains. The arts cover a broad spectrum the neural bases for the contemplation and
of things including natural and human- How does our knowledge of basic brain creation of a work of art.
made environments, architecture, music, mechanisms inform our understanding of Many scholars and institutions around
dance, visual design, theatre, digital these experiences? the world have studied and continue to
media, creative writing and poetry. At study the intersection of the arts and mind.
JULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 3
Mind = Impact
Sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing Health, wellbeing, learning
Neuroscientist Semir Zeki and cognitive community since 2009. In recent video games, this interdisciplinary field
psychologist Vilayanur Ramachandrian years, the National Endowment of the is now beginning to be able to provide
are credited with the elevation of this Arts (NEA) has worked to investigate insights and research.
field in the late 1990s. Nobel Prize winner the value of the impact of the arts as Over time, this new knowledge will
Eric Kandel has also further contributed it pertains to social and emotional provide an important understanding of
through his work and book The Age of development but also to creativity, neural basis, universal principles and
Insight: The Quest to Understand the cognition, and learning. In 2016, the evolutionary rationale of aesthetics.
Unconscious on Art, Mind and Brain. Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins These findings will also support rigorous
Anjan Chatterjee has expanded the School of Medicine embarked on an approaches to develop evidence-based
conversation with his book The Aesthetic initiative to further accelerate the field of arts, design and architectural solutions,
Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty neuroaesthetics through the creation of interventions and programs.
and Enjoy Art. In 2003, The Academy the International Arts + Mind Lab. Neuroaesthetics offers an innovative
of Neuroscience for Architecture was Fueling the growth of neuroaesthetics approach to better understand and amplify
launched to advance knowledge that are tools and technologies that support the the way we live. There’s so much to learn
links neuroscience and architecture. The exploration of how our brains work that are about the intricate intersections of the arts
International Neuroaesthetic Network has assessable, mobile and more affordable. and our human brain. Join us as we explore
been extremely productive guiding the From molecular research and EEG, fMRI, this exciting new field!
development of the empirical research and PET brain imaging to virtual reality and
4 CHILDART ICAF.ORG
FRONTAL LOBE
Cognitive functions
of reasoning, executive
function, parts of speech,
voluntary movement,
emotions and problem
solving
CORPUS CALLOSUM
The corpus callosum
is made up of neural
tissue, and it helps the
two brain hemispheres
communicate with each
other via signals sent
through neural pathways
The arts have a profound and often instant-
aneous impact on sculpting our brains.
When you are creating the arts (the maker)
or experiencing the arts (the beholder),
your brain is running at full speed receiving TEMPORAL LOBE
and processing new information.
Memory and perception
Try to imagine a clear sky on a cool
as well as speech and
summer night. The sky is filled with an
auditory functions (pitch,
infinite number of stars above you in many
tone, selective listening)
configurations. Your brain is just like that.
It is the most complex and agile structure
known to humans. At birth, a baby’s brain
contains all the neurons he or she will ever
have. In the first year of life, that child’s
brain will double in size and by age three,
the brain will have reached 80 percent of
its adult size.
The human brain contains 100 billion
neurons. Each one of those 100 billion
neurons can connect to up to 10,000
other neurons. Synapses enable these
connections to happen—they are small
gaps between neurons that allow inform- is constantly responding to its internal and
ation to flow from one neuron to another external environment and experiences.
neuron. In the process, synapses form The fact that the human brain can
Emotions are an important
billions of neuronal circuits. literally change neural pathways based
Neurotransmitters help carry inform- on experiences means it is never too late part of brain development
ation across the synapses from one neuron to sculpt and heal your brain (though early and learning. Researchers
to another. Neurotransmitters are made up childhood is still essential for building have recently discovered that
of very specific chemicals that are involved foundational systems). This agility of the emotions, related to reward
in different brain functions. A person’s brain underlies our ability to learn,
and pleasure, are productive
brain is constantly changing how it passes remember and heal.
information between its neurons (its neural As you will read in the stories through- for higher level learning.
pathways). This process is called brain out this Arts + Mind edition of ChildArt
plasticity and it happens because the brain Magazine, you’ll discover that interacting
JULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 5
PARIETAL LOBE
Information processing of
movement, mathematics,
orientation, recognition
and perception of stimuli
(taste, touch, temperature)
OCCIPITAL LOBE
Visual processing
THE LIMBIC SYSTEM
The emotional brain
containing the thalamus,
hypothalamus, amygdala
and hippocampus
CEREBELLUM
The cerebellum is
associated with regulation
and coordination of
movement, posture
and balance
with the arts – either as beholder or maker of the connections build cognitive skills, have discovered that emotions, related
– provides powerful experiences. These predict long-term outcomes in resiliency, to reward and pleasure, are productive for
experiences help to build this complex and social-emotional health, executive function, higher level learning. The neurotransmitter
vast neural network and help to maintain learning and memory. The arts engage dopamine helps control the brain’s
the foundational circuitry needed for the whole brain. pleasure and reward systems. Dopamine
healthy brain function. The brain is comprised of many also helps regulate movement and
Brain researchers are also beginning to important neurotransmitters including emotional responses. It enables us not
better understand that exposure to the arts, serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. These only to feel rewards but to take action and
including the visual arts, creative writing help regulate emotion, motivation and move towards them. Dopamine-driven
and poetry, music, architecture, dance and rewards which are intrinsically tied to experiences help foster critical behaviors
theatre, create interconnectivity between brain development. for learning—a thirst for knowledge or a
different areas of the brain. Brain regions Emotion is an important part of brain desire to discover information.
do not work in isolation—the strengths development and learning. Researchers
the arts heal us
“The main thing is to be
moved, to love, to hope,
to tremble, to live.“
Auguste Rodin
French Impressionist and sculptor
Tali Yalonetzki
8 CHILDART HEALTH
a result, they feel more connected to the
people around them. This is because of
the unique ways that arts activities change
the brain for language development and
emotional learning.
HEART takes place in community centers,
pre-schools, primary schools and after-
school programs. As children become
healthier and more engaged with their
peers, adults and family members, they are
better able to enjoy the full set of HEART
activities like using drama to teach history;
sculpture and physical modeling to teach
geography; music to reinforce concepts of
math; and book making and storytelling to
support literacy.
Arts-based activities can help young
HEART – SAVE THE CHILDREN people succeed in their school subjects and
their relationships with friends and adults,
too. When compared to similar young
people who do not participate in the HEART
program, HEART participants make greater
gains in literacy, math, social-emotional
development and motor skills. In short,
they do better in their school subjects and
Sometimes it can be hard to watch Through HEART, the healing process are less likely to have behavior issues that
the news. When scenes of war and begins when a child shares his or her limit their relationships and potential. This
uncertainty from around the world make memories and feelings. Sometimes, it can is because of the unique ways that arts
you feel sad and helpless, take heart: be hard to talk about difficult feelings or activities change the brain for language
there is always something you can worries. Stress lives in the brain and can development and emotional learning.
do. Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the actually act as a wall between the part In the last five years, the global HEART
Children in 1919 after her experiences of the brain that holds our worries and program has given more than 150,000
with the devastating effects of World fears and the part that helps us to talk young people the opportunity to heal,
War I on the basic health and wellness about them. Creating a piece of art, like a learn, explore and thrive through arts-
of children and families in war zones. drawing or a sculpture, can help to break based activities. During times of chaos and
The organization is dedicated to giving down that wall and express those worries. uncertainty, something as simple as a safe,
children a healthy start, the opportunity In the HEART program, children can use friendly space to draw can be life-changing
to learn and protect them from harm. art to express their worries and fears with for young people living with chronic stress.
Save the Children’s HEART program a trusted adult or peer in a safe space. As
(Healing and Education through the Arts)
uses an arts-based approach to provide
support for children ages 4 to 18 that Try this:
are living with daily uncertainty or worry
because of lack of a safe place to live,
enough food to eat or doctors to help
them when they are sick or disabled.
These conditions are most likely to occur
in countries or regions where there is
war, conflict and poverty. Currently,
HEART is offered in the nations of Jordan,
Occupied Palestinian Territories, Egypt,
Lebanon, Turkey, Bosnia Herzegovina,
SING DRAW DANCE
Ukraine, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Haiti,
Sing your favorite song Draw a picture of Play your favorite music
El Salvador, Mexico, China, Armenia, loud and clear. How a feeling. What did and dance around. Do
Albania and Georgia. do you feel? you draw? you feel less stressed?THE ARTS + MIND 9
Science of
the arts
Some causes of
toxic stress: poverty,
violence, illness,
natural disasters,
abandonment
and conflict.
Chronic stress when
we are young can
have negative effects
on health as adults.
The amygdala
(center of the brain
for emotions)
in young kids is
changed by stress.
Artistic expression
reduces levels of
cortisol, the stress
hormone.
Read
about it
Beautiful Oops
Barney Saltzberg
Chill and Spill
Art Journal Touch, mold, create
– playing with clay
Art with a Heart
stimulates neural
(Seattle, WA)
sensory inputs.
Save The Children10 CHILDART HEALTH
BLAM – BRAIN, LEARNING,
ANIMATION + MOVEMENT
John Krakauer, M.A., M.D., directs the settings today just aren’t motivating or
Brain, Learning, Animation and Movement rewarding. We’re combining what we
Lab at the Johns Hopkins University School know about learning and brain plasticity
of Medicine. Dr. Krakauer’s research with what we know about what people
explores the use of immersive video games love to watch for fun, like Pixar movies for
in stroke recovery. example, to promote faster recovery for
stroke patients.
How does your work fit into the field Our research is based on the notion
of neuroaesthetics? that swimming, oceans, the color blue BLAM
and dolphins would all be appealing
JK: A stroke is a brain injury, and right to most people in an immersive game
after an injury, the brain is what we call world. Someone might want a killer
“plastic.” That means it is able to change whale or dragon instead of a dolphin, arms, get to “become” a dolphin in three
and adapt as a result of that experience. but the underlying concept is similar. weeks of training in our immersive video
So, it’s important to get patients moving We’re currently conducting what’s world. We have an exoskeleton, a kind
quickly and meaningfully after a stroke known as a trial, or a first study. Patients of simulator, and the patients put their
to take advantage of that “plasticity.” who have recently had a stroke, and arms in it and use it to power the dolphin
We believe that beautiful and rewarding therefore have limited movement in their in the virtual world. It helps them move
experiences can motivate people to their arms much more than they normally
move, and therefore help people to would to encourage exploration when
recover faster. People enjoy certain kinds their brain is plastic. We have about 21
of movements more than others. That’s patients enrolled at this point. Hopefully
why people like to play sports and dance,
“We’re combining what we we’ll have about 30 patients by the end
because they enjoy the movement itself. know about learning and of the year.
It’s like when you put your hand out of the brain plasticity with what
car window to feel the air. You enjoy that we know about what people How are you dreaming big about
movement of the air over your arm. love to watch for fun, like neuroaesthetics?
How are you using reward and
Pixar movies for example, to JK: Imagine there was science behind
motivation in your work at BLAM? promote faster recovery for the art you see in schools and offices, or
stroke patients.” the music and design of a hospital room.
JK: People are more motivated to move In those environments, you’d do better
when they get enjoyment out of the John Krakauer work. You’d have better outcomes. That’s
movement, and many of our physical what neuroaesthetics is all about.
therapy and rehabilitation exercises andRead about it
Try this
AM
The MindShift Virtual World Play your favorite BL
Guide to Games Design and animated movie and
and Learning Creation for Teens dance to the move with
Jordan Shapiro Charles Ryan the characters. How
Hardnett does this feel?
Science of the arts
fMRI brain scans show Virtual reality therapy When your brain receives Playing an animated video Some brain-machine
reductions in pain-related has been shown to evoke an audio-visual stimulus, the game can improve the interfaces (BMI) can help
brain activity with patients changes in the limbic and sensory information travels ability to take on more tasks increase cortical and
who use virtual reality. visceral brain circuitry. to the thalamus (the relay by increasing attention and spinal cord plasticity for
station) that forwards the focus in the game. disabled patients.
information for processing.12 CHILDART HEALTH
CREATIVE FORCES
Creative ForcesJULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 13
Science of the arts
When most of us get sick, we go to the doctor and get The brain becomes
medicine. But what if pills and syrups couldn’t make intensely engaged
when creating art.
you better? Your doctor might prescribe something
totally unexpected: art.
Doodle away –
it activates the
prefrontal lobe
and helps short-
For many military service members of the Creative Forces clinical sites, term memory.
coming home from overseas deploy- paints a vivid picture of the mask-
ments, the joyful reunions we see making process and how it unlocks Visual arts can lower
on the news are just the first step in traumatic experiences. Walker says amygdala activity
a very difficult journey of trying to mask making has been a particularly resulting in stress
adjust to life at home after experien- powerful therapy for post-traumatic reduction.
cing the traumas of war. Although stress disorder, helping service
they may look healthy on the outside, members turn their private night-
Art activities can help
many service members come home mares and painful memories into
soothe your alert
with invisible wounds. something that can be shared and, system and enable
“Very often there are very small hopefully, released. One service the prefrontal cortex
tears in a brain that you can’t even member shares how he was finally to focus on thinking
and planning.
see unless you have a magnified able to let go of trauma that he had
brain scan,” said Bill O’Brien, senior kept bottled up inside for 23 years.
adviser for innovation at the National Creative Forces is also turning The arts help the
brain focus and
Endowment for the Arts. “It makes it to technology to reach and appeal
avoid distractions.
hard for them to remember things. to a broader audience, working with
They are fearful or angry for no reason, the University of Florida on a new
and it really impacts the family.” “telehealth” program that can bring
Creative Forces: NEA Military art and music therapy into homes
Healing Arts Network is a partnership through the power of technology.
of the National Endowment for the Building on an initial in-person
Arts, the Department of Defense and meeting, the telehealth program Read
the Department of Veterans Affairs will use specially designed tablet about it
that includes a creative arts therapist computers for virtual therapy sessions
as part of a team approach to helping designed to feel just like being in the Drawing is Thinking
Milton Glazer
heal service members and veterans room together. Creative Forces knows
who are confronting the wounds of integrating technology is critical to its Secret Garden: An
war. Service members, most of who success in other ways, too. Inky Treasure Hunt
and Coloring Book
have been on multiple deployments “How a person pursues art in the
Johanna Basford
overseas, take their daily dose of 21st Century is changing,” O’Brien
art therapy (writing, mask making, says. “Many service members are
music) right alongside other therapies interested in producing their own
like acupuncture and K-9 therapy. music, for example.”
The program is also offered to family Digital technology used for
members who are learning to deal photography, videos and music
with the effects of the injuries on recording provides Creative Forces
themselves and their loved ones. a scalable way to bring the healing Try this
A popular TED Talk with Melissa powers of the arts and creative Doodle while listening to music.
Walker, art therapist at the National expression to all service members,
Create a mask of yourself.
Intrepid Center of Excellence, one veterans and families who need it.
Draw a self-portrait and describe
what you created to a friend.14 CHILDART HEALTH
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL
Most images of hospitals are of sterile enhance the patient and visitor experience. serve as places to meet, rest and relax.
white hallways and fluorescent lights. But Just beyond the Children’s Center entrance Many of the plantings, including varieties
when Johns Hopkins Hospital set out to is a gigantic rhino sculpture with a baby of lavender, rosemary, barberry, rose and
add 1.6 million square feet of new state- rhino standing on its back. Floating magnolia, were chosen for their ancient
of-the-art facilities across a five-acre site, above the main entry stair of the lobby is associations with healing. The landscape
they put art and aesthetics at the forefront a school of puffer fish. A purple winged architect, OLIN, developed the design so
of healing. The Hospital’s Facilities staff cow, heading towards a ring of the 28 that patients, families and visitors looking
worked with Perkins+Will, architects, phases of the moon, flies above the visitor’s down from the building could enjoy
landscape designers, engineers and artists information desk at the main entry. Such the patterns and colors of the courtyard
to design a set of buildings that combine whimsy and fun can make a hospital stay gardens. The meditation garden, intended
patient experience and medical care, or visit feel more like a trip to the museum. as a place of calm and quiet, is graced with
taking into account the healing benefits To further stimulate the imagination gentle water features, sculptural trees and
of aesthetics, such as color, open spaces, and curiosity of pediatric patients, more patterned stonework.
green spaces and a lot of natural light. than 140 of the works of art created for By combining art and architecture with
The two new facilities, the Charlotte the Bloomberg Children’s Center are medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital is taking
R. Bloomberg Children’s Center and the inspired by children’s books, including care of patients—mind, body and spirt.
Sheikh Zayed Tower, can be seen from seven dioramas found throughout
miles away. To create a welcoming exterior, the hospital. These displays include
artist Spencer Finch took inspiration from artist Jennifer Strunge’s whacky cloth
French Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s creatures, all reading or being read to. Portions of this article were excerpted with
permission from the Johns Hopkins Hospital’s
famed painting of waterlilies and his own The dioramas serve a dual purpose, Art + Architecture book.
observations of light and color at Giverny, providing location clues to navigate
creating a new alphabet of 26 shades the hospital and encouraging patients,
of colored glass (greens for the Zayed their families and the rest of the hospital
Tower and blues for Children’s Center) to community to find and explore the other
project the serenity of nature onto the East works of art in the building that were
Baltimore skyline. Finch drew from Monet’s inspired by the books on display. Read about it
brushstrokes to create his own pattern that More than 50 artists shared their
is fused onto the building’s curtain wall, personal perspectives on nature and the The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to
reflecting light and mimicking the rippling garden for the art in the Zayed Tower. the Sydney Opera House and Beyond
effect of water. Some focused on the delicate details of Patrick Dillon and Stephen Biesty
Inside, both buildings are filled with art petals and rocks, and others took a broader Healing Architecture
and intentional design features meant to view of landscape. Outdoors, the gardens Christine Nickl-Weller and Hans Nickl(c) 2012, James Steinkamp , Steinkamp Photography
Science of the arts
Meditation areas in buildings help keep you
calm by activating the lateral prefrontal cortex
in the brain supporting rational thought.
Patterns in brain activity vary when viewing
different types of interior spaces.
Cortisol levels drop in low light. Natural light
helps decrease stress.
Viewing the outdoors is linked to improved
mental and physical health in terms of heart
rate and stress levels.
When spaces are designed to increase physical
activity, the environment can actually increase
brain neurons and improve brain function.
Eduard Hueber
Try this
Visit three of your favorite
places. Observe how they
make you feel.
Where did you feel the
most calm?
Which one felt the most
stressful?
How did the colors in the
space make you feel?
Eduard Hueberthe arts keep us healthy
“The broader one’s
understanding of the human
experience, the better design
we will have.”
Steve Jobs
Co-founder of Apple
Tali Yalonetzki18 CHILDART WELLBEING
Richard Louv
Did you know you have supersenses By listening to the languages of the birds care where they step and are less likely
– or superpowers? in the tree, you can stimulate spatial to fall. Walking barefoot also enhances
Scientists who study human percep- awareness, hearing and sight. awareness of texture and terrain.
tion no longer assume we have only five
senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and GO ON A MICRO-HIKE. FIND YOUR INNER
hearing. They now estimate that humans 3 Inch along on your belly, 6 BLOODHOUND.
have, conservatively, 10 senses, and covering just a few feet, and Researchers at the University of
some scientists believe we have as many view “such natural wonders as grass California, Berkeley, wondered if human
as 30 senses, including proprioception blades bent by rainbow dewdrops, beings could follow a scent trail with their
(awareness of our body’s position in colorful beetles sprinkled with flower ears and eyes covered. The researchers
space), echolocation and a more acute pollen and powerful-jawed eight-eyed found that not only are humans capable of
sense of smell. Spending more time spiders,” suggests Joseph Cornell in his scent tracking, but they intuitively mimic
outdoors can activate or tune underused book, Sharing Nature with Children. the tracking pattern of other mammals that
senses, including ones that many of us make their living with their noses. Simply
don’t realize we have. Here are 10 ways you ROTATE THE SENSES. wetting one’s nose can stimulate the sense
can build your senses – your superpowers: 4 Don’t fixate; vary your sensory
awareness. “If you pay rapt
PICK A “SIT SPOT.” attention to one thing, it will dull your
1 Jon Young, one of the world’s senses (‘highway hypnosis’),” according
preeminent nature educators to Princeton University’s Outdoor Action “There is a sixth sense ...
and coauthor of Coyote’s Guide, advises initiative. “Flash back and forth through that is the sense of wonder.”
children and adults to find a special place your various senses.”
in nature, whether it’s under a tree at the D.H. Lawrence
end of the yard, a hidden bend of a creek BE A BAREFOOT EXPLORER.
or a rooftop garden. “Know it by day; 5 In 2010, Britain’s The Guardian
know it by night; know it in the rain and newspaper reported “a
in the snow, in the depth of winter and in growing belief among experts” that
the heat of summer,” he writes. “Know “the best shoe may be no shoe at all.” of smell. Here’s another way: walk through
the birds that live there, know the trees Some podiatrists contend that walking the woods or a field, or along a creek, and
they live in. Get to know these things as barefoot develops foot muscles, report what you smell — list and describe
if they were your relatives.” ligaments and arch strength and (where these smells in a nature journal.
sharp objects aren’t present) can actually
CLIMB A TREE. be safer than wearing shoes, especially LEARN TO USE A SNAKE
2 A tree, like any good friend, can flip-flops. One reason is that going 7 TONGUE, DEER EARS OR
teach us how to know the world, barefoot improves proprioception — OWL EYES.
and even how to be safer. A tree can awareness of where we are in relation to Heather Stephenson, in an essay for the
stimulate your vestibular (balance) senses the space around us. Barefoot walkers Children & Nature Network, suggests
and offers a natural touch experience. are more likely to look down, to take using your “snake tongue.” She writes,Richard Louv
“try tasting the air, seeing which way BE A BATWOMAN walking in single file, a discreet distance
the wind is blowing, and sensing the 9 OR BATMAN. from each other. Have we dramatically
temperature….Cup your hands around Echolocation is the system bats fallen out? Perish the thought: we’ve all
your ears to listen to what’s in front of use to navigate in the dark. In 2009, signed up for a day of mindful walking.”
you, or cup them backward to hear researchers at Madrid’s University of
what’s behind you better, imitating the Alcalá de Henares showed how people, These are just a few of the ways you can
way deer shift their ears to hear.…Then like bats, can identify objects without stop, look, listen and know the natural
look with ‘owl eyes,’ forming binoculars needing to see them, through the echoes world and yourself. You can use your
with . . . your hands to imitate owls’ of human tongue clicks. According to the rediscovered superpowers to feel more
fixed, forward-facing eyes, and turning lead researcher, echoes are also perceived alive, and to give more art, thoughtfulness,
all around.” through vibrations in the ears and bones. and peace to the world.
TAKE THE TRAIL LESS SEEN. GO ON AN AWARENESS WALK.
8 Blindfold your friends and follow a 10 The practice of an “awareness
Richard Louv is the author
rope (placed in advance) through walk” is similar to Jon Young’s sit of Vitamin N: The Essential
varied terrain in which they can smell, hear spot, but with more emphasis on walking Guide To A Nature-Rich
and feel things. Retrace your steps without meditation. Jini Reddy, in an article for Life, from which this essay
the Telegraph, writes about walking is adapted, The Nature
the blindfold to see how much more you
Principle, and Last Child
notice. Or, while on a walk, stop and close through the dunes of a national nature In The Woods: Saving Our
your eyes. Ask yourself and your friends, reserve: “Ordinarily on such an outing, Children from Nature-Deficit
“What direction are the clouds moving?” I’d be chattering away with friends, Disorder. He is co-founder
loaded down with beach gear. But today and chairman emeritus of the Children &
and “Were there any birds in the tree we
Nature Network. Follow Richard Louv on
just passed?” I’m light-footed and as silent as a ghost. Facebook and @RichLouv on Twitter.
I can see my companions, as we’re all20 CHILDART WELLBEING
Ashfaq Ishaq
their children’s creativity. In the third DAY THREE: BE THE CHANGE-MAKERS
year, the WCF provides a setting of On “Peace & Leadership Day,” all work-
How do you develop global community to celebrate creativity, shops and activities focus on interpersonal
empathy among 9 to 12 diversity and unity. In the fourth and final relations, peaceful resolution of conflicts
year, the International Arts Olympiad and leadership training. The delegates
year olds from more than
Exhibition travels to host cities to grow become prepared as global citizens,
70 countries in just three public awareness of the importance of collectively participating in activities
days? Bring them to the children’s creative education. such as mural-making to co-create
World Children’s Festival While the Arts Olympiad fosters masterpieces. From the host of activities
(WCF) on the National Mall. creativity, the WCF develops empathy. and workshops, delegates learn that
Intercultural empathy does not come creativity and empathy are key attributes
easily and yet it is more essential today of successful learners and leaders. After
than ever before. Here’s how we do it: attending the WCF, children feel more
equipped to bring about positive social
DAY ONE: DISRUPT BIASES change in their respective communities.
The WCF is a three-day experience for All children are faced with cultural Following three days of educational
2,000 creative young people and the biases, whether living in a war zone or festivities on the National Mall, the
public in Washington, D.C., organized a peaceful country. On this first “Health delegates are honored at an Awards
by the International Child Art Foundation & Environment Day,” delegates from Banquet, where youth leadership shines.
(ICAF). I founded ICAF after learning that around the world get to meet, paint
creativity is critical for success in business, and draw together, testing art as a
yet many adults lack it. If all children start universal language, often surprised at
out creative, where does it go? I found a the concerns they share together. By Ashfaq Ishaq is ICAF chairman and WCF
scientific explanation in the studies of E. the day’s end, they realize they have producer. He is planning the 6th WCF to take
place on the National Mall in June 2019.
Paul Torrance who discovered the “4th- much in common, despite their
grade slump” in children’s creativity. apparent differences.
I believe this slump is a roadblock to
human creative development and an DAY TWO: DEVELOP TRUST
impediment to sustainable prosperity On “Creativity & Imagination Day,” prof-
and peace-building. essionals of all kinds from architects and Read
To optimize a child’s creative potential, animators to Olympians and yoga masters about it
we developed the Arts Olympiad, a host workshops and activities. Children
global program with a four-year cycle like come to understand their own creativity The Creativity Revolution
Ashfaq Ishaq
the Olympics. In the first year, students and learn how to grow their imagination
produce original artworks on themes as and enhance their potential. By the end of www.WorldChildrensFestival.org
part of a school art contest. In the second the day, they feel more confident in them-
http://scholarship.claremont.
year, regional or national exhibitions selves, realizing that their personal creativity edu/steam/
of local winners’ masterpieces provide can be applied to any field or domain, be it
communities an opportunity to celebrate in business, government or science.Try this
Close your eyes and
imagine a peaceful
world. What would
it look and feel like?
Create a picture of
your world using
markers, collage
or paint.
Science of the arts
Part of the cerebral cortex, the right
1 supramarginal gyrus, helps us act
with empathy.
The activation of mirror neurons fire
both when we perform an empathetic
2 action and when we see that action
being performed by others.
The inferior frontal gyrus in the brain
3 is responsible for emotional empathy
– “I feel what you feel.”
The ventromedial prefrontal gyrus in
4 the brain is responsible for cognitive
empathy – “I understand what you feel.”
Empathy can be cultivated and developed
5 through all art activities and experiences.
World Children’s Festival
World Children’s FestivalVlad Tchompalov / unsplash.com
Read
about it
The Day the Crayons Quit
Drew Daywalt
It’s Our World, Too!: Young
People Who Are Making a
Difference: How They Do
It - How You Can, Too!
Phillip M Hoose
Erin Cooper
On November 8th, 2016, my sister, mother of grim headlines. When I heard about
and I donned white pantsuits in a nod to the the Women’s March on Washington, I
suffragettes who fought nearly a century latched onto the idea. Protesting in defense “I believe we all have a role
ago for a woman’s right to vote. We put on of human rights and dignity felt like a to play, that our passion,
the earrings, bracelets and brooches of my meaningful and tangible action—a way
grandmothers and great-grandmothers, to tell the incoming administration that we
voices and efforts to be
wearing with us generations of women who would not be displaced from our values. heard—whether attending
never got the chance to vote for a female I petitioned my school to organize a town halls, protesting or
President of the United States as we went trip for students to attend the march and engaging in other ways—are
to the voting booth together. received approval along with a 60-seat all incredibly important to
Hours later, the results of the 2016 school bus for the five-hour trip from New
election shocked the nation, even those York to D.C. I plastered the school with
the future of our country.”
who supported Donald Trump. To me, posters and promoted the trip to students Erin Cooper
a high school junior, it felt impossible to and teachers. The sign-up sheets filled up,
understand a nation that once said “give me and on January 21, we arrived at school at
your tired, your poor, your huddled masses 4:00am, boarded the yellow school bus
yearning to break free,” now seemingly and took off.
shutting its doors. As we emerged from the metro in from the negativity of the past months.
In the months following the election, Washington, D.C., the streets pulsed with Marchers championed LGBTQ rights,
I was overwhelmed by the steady stream life and passionate energy, worlds away women, refugees, immigrants, racialMake your
own signs!
What would you say?
What do you want to communicate?
Where would you use them?
What pictures best illustrate
your message?
er
op
n Co
Eri
justice, the environment and access to of 5 million people joined 673 marches Science of the arts
healthcare. Chants of “We want a leader not in 81 countries worldwide across every
More than emotion - speaking out
a creepy tweeter” and “The people united continent. It was the largest single-day
1 activates sections of the brain related
will never be defeated…el pueblo unido protest in U.S. history. to logic and reasoning.
jamás será vencido” reverberated against I believe we all have a role to play,
the surrounding buildings. I had never felt that our passion, voices and efforts to be Like minds, when people work
more at home in a crowd of strangers. heard—whether attending town halls, 2 together their brains have neural
The witty hand-drawn signs and the protesting or engaging in other ways synchrony.
original music written for the march (check —are all incredibly important to the future
out MILCK’s performance of her song of our country. Resistance comes from a Speaking out or expressing fears
3 lessens negative arousal in the brain.
“Quiet” at the march) were emblematic place of creativity and refusal to give in to
of the passion so many people feel for the powers that be. The road ahead is long,
preserving human rights and the wellbeing but we are in it together.
Use rhymes with prosodic patterns and
of the planet. After a full day, we found our 4 people will remember your message.
way to our school bus and drove home
to New York, talking about our favorite
moments of the day and thinking ahead Erin Cooper is a Junior at Riverdale Country Advocacy and activism can make
to what we could do next.
School. Devout feminist, she takes her nose out 5 you feel happier by taking action.
of Gloria Steinem chronicles for long enough to
We learned that 500,000 people attend a soccer practice (or six) each week. Erin
marched in Washington, D.C., and a total is an aspiring artist and engineer.24 CHILDART WELLBEING
Fred Marks
Have you looked at a round building such modern people spend most of their time solved. Without this definition, a focus on
as yurt or tepee and wondered what it indoors. Such designs may enable hospital the form (the way the building looks), might
would be like inside? How do you hang patients to recover faster, students to learn be the enemy of the function (how it works).
cabinets on a curved wall made of mud better or office workers to be less tired and
and grass or buffalo hide? Where would more focused. AESTHETICS AND CULTURE
the furniture go to accommodate various While painters, sculptors, musicians In the best cases, the function and form
purposes? Would you be comfortable and dancers have a lot of control over how of a building work hand in hand. With a
in a shape that had no square corners? their art looks when finished, architects clearly defined function in mind, an architect
Different designs stimulate emotional must work with a number of collaborators, can work with his/her partners to achieve
centers in the brain and change how we including multiple engineers, designers, an appealing form through techniques
perceive or react to being in the space. Our public officials, citizens and even banks that tap into our natural preferences and
past memories of seeing and experiencing who all have a say in the final design. While instincts as humans. For example, our brains
many types of buildings also influence a sculptor might need to understand a little and eyes prefer to see rhythmic repetitions,
how we feel about something new. In chemistry to get the right mix of materials simple forms and orderly patterns found in
understanding how the brain operates, for a mold, architects must follow strict laws nature, such as leaves. Without patterns,
architects may soon change the way they of physics, chemistry and mathematics just we may become uneasy and disoriented.
approach their design to our benefit. to make sure we are safe and protected. Repeating patterns in tile and stone work,
Combined, those principles ensure that a consistent ceiling heights and symmetry in
FORM AND FUNCTION building can stand up and stay dry from windows and doors are all examples of how
Architecture is the art or practice of the weather, among many other things. architecture adheres to this principle. Still,
designing and constructing buildings. It Architects also rely heavily on function
is unique among art forms because it has in determining their design. How a building
both aesthetic and practical purposes, comes to be one size and shape often
also known as “form” and “function.” That depends on what activities will take place
means a building can be a beautiful and inside and how many people will use it. Read
moving sight to see as well as a necessary A sports stadium, for example, needs a about it
place to stay warm or cool. large common space with a playing field,
The Future Architect’s
There are many factors, both artistic and seats for spectators and many pathways for Handbook
scientific, that influence how a building is walking in and out. A family home, on the Barbara Beck
designed and constructed. In recent years, other hand, is likely to be much smaller and
Iggy Peck, Architect
there has also been a growing interest in tailored to a family’s needs to eat, relax and Andrea Beaty and
designing buildings that will contribute to sleep in one building. Before an architect David Roberts
the health and wellness of the people who can start working on a design, he or she
live and work in them or visit them. After all, must identify and describe a problem to beJULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 25
Science of
the arts
Look up! High ceilings activate
structures in the brain related to
our visual-spatial perception.
Brandon Day / unsplash.com
Don’t box me in. Studies show more
positive responses when people are in
there is room for the element of surprise places with curvy versus linear space.
and wonder in design. Imagine an all-white
building with a single red door. That door Frederick Marks, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Six Sigma
could both entice your interest and help you Green Belt; Visiting Scholar, Salk Institute for
know where to enter a building. Biological Studies; President-elect, Academy
All cultures have sought to express of Neuroscience for Architecture
themselves through their buildings, and The mission of the Academy of Neuroscience
buildings have in turn helped shape social for Architecture is to promote and advance
attitudes. Throughout history, architecture knowledge that links neuroscience research to
has changed in style based on the avail- a growing understanding of human responses Our perception of a place, whether
ability of materials and technology and to the built environment. we like it there or not, is related to
what we see, smell, touch, hear
the customs and tastes of the time. Western The Academy benefits from the expanding and feel when we are there.
civilization lists Greek, Roman, Byzantine, body of research that has evolved within the
Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, neuroscience community in the last two decades,
Neo-Classical and Modern as distinct and the promise of even more in the coming
examples of artistic expression. Middle century. Some observers have characterized
Eastern and Asian countries developed what is happening in neuroscience as the most
other approaches to dressing their exciting frontier of human knowledge since
buildings based on their beliefs about the Renaissance. All humanity stands to benefit
religion and the human role in nature. from this research in countless ways still to be
More recently in the United States, determined. The profession of architecture has What we learn from neuroscience
we have found that we don’t need to tear become a partner in developing the application (exploring the brain) and
down old buildings from earlier centuries of this knowledge base in order to increase its neuroaesthetics (how art affects the
brain) helps us create places where
just because their original purpose is no ability to be of service to society.
people will love to work, live and play.
longer needed. We can practice sustainable
development by finding new uses. By
expanding the meaning of what is possible
and acceptable a canning factory may
become residential apartments, a train Try this
depot may serve as a museum or a school
building may be converted to business What are two things Make a list of five of
you can adjust in your favorite places.
offices. In accepting the design change,
your room to help List how each of these
our brain will be in harmony with what the you relax and sleep spaces make you feel. Hush! Light and noise levels affect an
architect most likely intended. better? infant’s critical sensory development.26 CHILDART WELLBEING
Wide Angle Youth Media
WIDE ANGLE YOUTH MEDIA
The high schoolers in the Mentoring documentary film projects. In the end, knew that teens would relate most to the
Video Project (MVP) program at Wide violence and teen depression rose to the perspective of other teens and that serious
Angle Youth Media in Baltimore aren’t top as the most pressing issues to tackle. topics would require expert voices to lend
afraid to take on difficult topics. In fact, With a goal to educate and change credibility to their stories.
that’s their job. This year, the student the hearts and minds of their families, In some cases, the filmmakers inter-
filmmakers discussed a long list of issues friends, city leaders and school counselors, viewed fellow MVP students about their
facing teens and their community as they split into two teams to begin their personal experiences with violence and
they considered the direction for their interviews. From the start, MVP filmmakers depression, often touching on private andJULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 27
degree of openness and understanding
among MVP students is surprising given
that they just met at the beginning of this Read
school year. about it
They credit the comfort and respect Tinker Dabble Doodle
they feel to their first assignment: telling Try: Unlock the Power
their personal stories. Students were of the Unfocused
asked to create videos that responded Srini Pillay
to three prompts: the hardest lesson Flicker – Your Brain
they learned as a child, the most difficult On Movies
obstacle from the past year and their Jeffery Zacks
proudest accomplishment. They screened
their stories for their families and friends.
They surprised even themselves with how
much they were willing to share.
“I’m usually reserved, but I wasn’t afraid Science of the arts
to be myself, “said 11th grader Michelle
White. “It’s important to be honest.”
It wasn’t just sharing and hearing
their personal stories that made them
feel safe in the program.
“Without Ms. Kellie, I wouldn’t have
gone that deep,” says Michelle. Her peers
in the program are quick to agree that the
Self-expression for Mentally challenging
staff at MVP is caring and encouraging.
teens positively affects activities, such as
“The best part is that the people here will the hippocampus, digital photography,
listen to you if you’ve had a bad day,” said prefrontal cortex improve memory
10th grader Marc Cruise. and amygdala parts and enhance neural
of the brain. efficiency.
The safety of relationships at MVP
opens up the doors to learning a number
of unique skills, like using cameras, lights,
painful experiences. In post-production, sound equipment and digital editing
those tearful and honest stories replayed tools. MVP students learn research and
again and again as student editors worked interview skills. They also write, a lot, and
to piece together the video’s narrative. The transcribe and edit their interview scripts
into cohesive and compelling stories.
They’ve learned a lot about teen
depression and violence and say there Neurocinematics, a Movies trick our
are many misconceptions about both. term coined by Uri brains to reacting
Depression is serious. It’s not just having a Hasson, investigates as if events were
The safety of relationships at bad day or being tired. It’s not something
how the brain real by activating
responds to movies “mirror neurons.”
MVP opens up the doors to that just passes. And violence in inner cities using an fMRI brain
learning a number of unique is not always about drugs. In fact, it’s often scanner.
skills, like using cameras, about anger, about not knowing how to
cope with a difficult or hurtful situation.
lights, sound equipment and
Their newfound expertise might come
digital editing tools. MVP with one downside. “My mom hates Try this
students learn research and watching movies with me now,” says
Everyone has a story to tell.
interview skills. They also 9th grader Ayanna White. “I am always
write, a lot, and transcribe pointing out the issues with continuity.” Use a camera, a smartphone or tablet to create a
Still, it’s safe to say the program has had digital storyboard or video of your point of view.
and edit their interview
unexpected benefits. By turning the lens What do you want to say?
scripts into cohesive and on others, MVP filmmakers have gained
compelling stories. important insights into themselves. What is the best way to communicate?
Share with friends and family and ask for
their impressions.28 CHILDART WELLBEING
Ashley shows me the Dr. Seuss-
themed table and chair set she’s working
on for a customer. This project has tested
her patience. She is having a hard time
painting the lines straight. She tells me
she has come close to throwing the chair
at the wall a number of times. But, she
hasn’t. Christina says Ashley might not
have been so successful at the beginning
of the six-week program. Art therapy
has opened the door for Ashley to build
deeper relationships and essential coping,
communication, workplace and life skills,
which are also part of the jobs program.
Ashley and Antonio earned the coveted
apprentice spots at the end of their jobs
program, gaining eight additional weeks
of employment and a percentage of the
sales of all of the art they make. Ashley is
studying for her GED diploma and thinking
about careers, perhaps something in the
culinary arts. Though she’s not interested
ART WITH A HEART in becoming a professional artist, the skills
Sarah Pitcock she’s learned can be applied anywhere.
Walking into the Art with a Heart store “The first week’s paycheck felt so
and workshop space is like opening up good,” she said. “I have a job, something
the windows for the first time after a long to wake up to and look forward to.”
winter. The airy, light-filled former police Ashley tells me she likes meeting new
stable is decorated from floor to ceiling people. She’s the funny one, and she’s
with handmade crafts and works of art. great with foreigners. It hardly sounds like
Dozens of mirrored mosaics bounce the person who walked in the first day of
bright colors from wall to wall. It’s easy the program.
to see how the time spent here can be so “Youth come in very angry at where
restorative. Art with a Heart is more than a they are in life,” says Christina Ralls, director
place to learn art and crafting skills, though of workforce development and social
its 11,000 community classes are certainly enterprise for Art with a Heart.
popular. It’s a place where many young
people come to make a major change.
“Antonio and me, we’re woe,” said
Ashley Knofski, a recent graduate of Art with
a Heart’s jobs program, using a slang term Art with a Heart is more
for “best friend.” “He wants this as much as I than a place to learn art
do.” What is “this?” I ask. “A life,” she says. and crafting skills, though its
Ashley is 21 years old and experiencing 11,000 community classes
homelessness. She and Antonio know
each other through their connection
are certainly popular. It’s
to Youth Empowered Society (YES), a a place where many young
nonprofit that provides youth experienc- people come to make a
ing homelessness with a comprehensive major change.
set of health, education, housing and
employment services. Art with a Heart Sarah Pitcock
works with groups like YES, providing
jobs and training to their clients.You can also read
