• — WHAT IS PROCESS ART AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Process art is a form of art making where the process of creating the artwork is as important, if not more so, than the finished product or end result.

This art practice involves experimentation, testing and the choosing and use of unconventional materials and methods and is all lead by the artist.

Process art empowers children to take the lead, make choices and revel in the joy of exploration. It champions the journey of discovery, ensuring each final creation is distinctive, with the emphasis on the creative process.

  • — WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PROCESS ART?

The benefits of process art are limitless! It taps into the innate curiosity of toddlers, pre-schoolers and young children as sensory adventurers, making it very developmentally appropriate for their growth and exploration. With the abundance of open-ended opportunities to cultivate creative thinking, children learn to think like artists, innovators and inventors.

Through process art, children…

  • embrace experimentation and develop critical thinking by testing ideas, problem solving, reflecting and then moving forward

  • build confidence and develop a sense of themselves by taking the lead in their own choices and making art for themselves

  • coordinate their fine and gross motor skills, exploring materials in a sensory and play making way

  • experience a visual result from the interaction of material choices and techniques they have made

  • discover opportunities for creativity, independence and imagination

  • become co-learners, expressing their curiosity and imagination while developing their social and emotional interactions during creative play

  • learn to relax and regulate themselves by focusing on playful engagement

  • — HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR CHILD ON THEIR CREATIVE JOURNEY?

We take the role as co-learners with our child in this space, as much as the process art approach benefits young minds, the learning is huge for us as we make room for our own curiosity and creative play and bonding experience.

Through process art; adults, parents, caregivers and facilitators…

  • don’t have the answers and we are not in control, we are on the journey of exploration and discovery as much as the children are

  • are emotionally free to support whatever the child dreams up as an ideal solution even if the project is ‘unfinished’ to us

  • make space for your child to keep making without us commenting on what we think, what they should do next and how to finish

  • provide a variety of materials and see what happens as the child leads the art experience

  • let children use more paint, more colours, and make more and more artwork and offer new and interesting materials

  • provide plenty of time for children to carry out their plans and explorations and let children come and go from their art at will

  • trust the process, even if the material or technique doesn’t seem like it’s providing the outcome we thought it would, you may ask yourself ‘where is this leading?’ this is natural to think this way however it’s all part of your child testing ideas and making decisions and we can support this by asking the child more about their ideas

  • notice the beauty of a wobbly line, torn paper, unevenly cut edges, the character of paint strokes, the energy behind the mark making and the charm in it all as your child develops their ideas

  • say YES to children’s ideas

  • let children choose whether they make something to take home or not

  • nurture the mess!