Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bullying Children and Art

Here is a quote I read from Laura Ingraham's new book which sounds like it came right out of an article by Marxhausen:
All over the museum, there were people with their cell phones extended, recording every image in the gallery, muttering to themselves, and no one said a word to them. Americans now experience live events, art, and even family life via their cell phones. They're so busy watching life go by in the display screen that genuine human emotion and interaction are no longer a part of the equation. But a child squeals with delight at a piece of art, and it's a federal offense.
We have become experts at capturing images, but often fail to see deeply. Our children should be encouraged to have honest reactions to the world around them and not bullied into silence when they attempt to interact. (Of Thee I Zing, p 225)
Marxhausen wrote in one of his articles that as an art instructor, he often had to "give permission" before the students and adults he was teaching would try to create anything. A possible consequence of bullying and stifling creativity in children is that, as adults, we're timid and afraid to try anything new without someone giving us permission.