CREATIVE PROCESS

This semester, we utilized many new techniques leading to the evolution of each of our creative processes. To start with, learning how to plan and teach a class was an entirely new experience for both of us. Having to think innovatively to create easy-to-follow yet educational and exciting lesson plans was certainly a challenge at first, but as we adapted our creative processes we were able to successfully run Creative Expression of Emotion. In the research phase, we mainly looked for primary publications related to psychological benefits of art and art therapy. Utilizing our individual innovation and creativity in the initial development phase allowed us to plan the basics of what we wanted to implement into the workshop. The idea of studying a new medium every week was supported by multiple publications that we found in the fall semester, and we used our creativity to then make the workshop our own and plan a consistent class structure that works with our goals and purpose, such as conducting case studies on influential mental health advocates throughout the semester.

In class, we learned about the importance of classroom setup and how the structure of the tables can impact learning and engagement in the article The Room Itself is Active: How Classroom Design Impacts Student Enagement (Rands & Gansemer-Topf, 26-33). We implemented this information into our Collage lesson and our Stress Relief Aid Station by rearranging the tables since the class was less lecture-based and was more activity-based. This allowed students to be more engaged in their activities, and also helped cultivate group discussions.

Works Cited

Rands, Melissa L., and Ann Gansemer-Topf. "The room itself is active": How classroom design impacts student engagement." Journal of Learning Spaces, 2017, pp. 26-33.