Education is essential to a functioning society. Its main objective is to prepare students for the real world. One thing we can guarantee to students about the real world is that everyone is different and different doesn’t mean bad.

Art projects can act as an outlet of self-expression for students with special needs. It is an incredibly important creative process for special needs students for a variety of reasons. Art projects involve fine motor skills, such as cutting, painting, and drawing. Many professional artists talk about the benefits of art therapy, and its effect on physical and mental health. Art therapists also share about the effectiveness of art therapy and its role in improving hand-eye coordination.

The private practice of art projects also enhances creativity and imagination. It is a calming and therapeutic activity that can help students regulate their emotions, reduce stress and anxiety. Collaborative art projects can provide opportunities for socialization and teamwork. It results in formation of online communities and then community members of special needs students can interact with each other. 

Art projects allow kids with special needs to explore their own unique ideas and express themselves in new ways. As students create new works of art, they can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Ultimately, it helps build self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. Art also involves a lot of problem-solving, which help develop critical thinking skills that students  can apply in other areas of their life.

Last Saturday @FEELartistic Studio, we held an event that encouraged special needs inclusiveness. Students from our different community came together to work on one large canvas and make a painting representing the Tree of Life. They used both paint brushes and handprints in order to accommodate all skill and ability levels.

We started off by letting everyone get to know each other and mingle for a bit. Once everyone had a paintbrush, we had volunteers squirt paint directly on the canvas. Every student participated in painting the background with long linear strokes giving a surprisingly uniform look. Next, we added yellow to the blue where we wanted grass and blended it until we had a nice hill for the tree.

Once the tree was up with branches, out came the finger paints. Everyone dipped their hands in paint and covered the branches making the most beautiful, colorful and diverse leaves. We had a little face painting fun at the end, but laughter equals success! It was a good sign that at the end of the project the students were comfortable enough with each other to let loose, have fun, and enjoy art therapy sessions.

In essence, that was the motive of this event. The purpose of our project is to reach out to the special needs community and embrace it with the spirit of inclusiveness and improve our awareness and knowledge of and deliver that message to the community.

Please visit our website @ Feelartistic.org