What Unravels Through Art.

How much changes when you surrender to the beauty of unfolding potentials within intentions, and have faith that they have been bestowed upon your heart with clarity for a reason beyond comprehension.

I made an intention last June to serve my learners through art a little bit more this academic year. I didn’t know why it would be important, and even though I have read countless articles and have seen a lot of videos commending art in learning, I never thought it would be that exceptionally revealing.

My co-teacher, who is an artist, has suggested using art to introduce figurative language in speaking and writing. Despite not knowing how to start, it didn’t hurt to try. Through poetry and pictorial content, we dedicated 45 minutes to simply describing the wind through art.

It was heart-shattering to witness the impact of that lesson, and I am quite sure that the invisible impacts are far more overarching and too inscrutable to perceive.

I was most worried about my rebellious class, and thought art would be the precursor to more chaos between them. Yet, I never witnessed a more calm environment. For once, they were not given a lot of instructions and had ample time for self-expression and non-judgmental learning. A sense of peace prevailed, a sense of unforced discipline that I felt was otherworldly and magnificent.

While they artistically portrayed their work, I believe vulnerability was given a path to show itself. Softness was provided an outlet, and even the loudest of children were somehow inspired to talk without shame, they would move from their seat to tell me something about themselves, or even talk with their classmates without restriction.

Something rather miraculous did happen, though it manifested hours later in the evening. I received a message from a learner of mine who suffers from panic attacks, restlessness, bursts of anger and episodes of forceful crying. In this message, he apologized and asked for forgiveness for throwing a tantrum a month ago about something that turns out he was really mistaken in.

I was taken aback by this connection— why that day? Is it really that such artful safety is able to connect children to innermost sources of forgiveness and humility? I spent my morning in veneration, exploring the interconnections that have unveiled themselves. I feel that this child found the space in his spirit to reflect truthfully, feel humility and seek forgiveness.

Now, art is truly not a matter of outcome. The process itself is entirely healing when done without limitations and restrictions. I’m in awe at our humanness, and the way the magnificence within our souls never ceases to show.