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PC, but not too PC By Tommie Howell |
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At the recent Polymer Clay Haven event in Chicago, I had many wonderful experiences. The one that really sticks out is the Friday morning that Kris Richards, Marie Segal, and I spent teaching a group of young kids some basic lessons. These young folks were very talented and took instruction a hell of a lot better than a lot of adults do! They seemed very excited to create little creatures, faces, and basic canes. Polymer clay is a material that is so well suited to introduce children to their creative side. I know, I have harangued the manufacturers of Polymer Clay for marketing it as a children's material. I still think that they do it no service in that area. On the other hand, I fear that we as artists and crafters don't do enough to insure that there is a generation that will follow in our footsteps. Why don't we do more with kids? To be charitable, I think most people just don't think about it. In our busy lives, especially if we don't have young children of our own, we probably don't think a whole lot about sharing our art with kids. We all seem to be inundated with everything but time. I don't blame anyone for just not having the time to have thought about it. However, there is a more insidious reason for not working with kids that I fear may be lurking. I think there is an "arteest" mentality that invades the minds of some. To come up with something to teach kids is seen as beneath a true artist. This is the same mindset that produces the elitism seen in some circles. I don't know how often I have heard comments saying that the true polymer clay artists are held back by all the amateurs flooding the market. Other people will say there are but a few masters and everyone else is derivative. Still others will say something to the effect of "We are the artists and they are the crafters." This haughty attitude could very well be behind some of the absence of any real effort aimed at bringing children into the world of polymer clay. I would like to know if other polymer clay gatherings have had program items aimed at teaching kids. To my knowledge, the PCH Event is the only one I have seen that organized a special session for the youth. I hope this will establish a trend, and this brings us to the positive part of this missive. What can we do? Well, corporately, we can make sure that each of our large scale events have something special for children. Whether a local or national guild, we should have some kind of plan for outreach to young people. A small spot in each newsletter or a few books or videos in the library that are geared toward youth would be good. The real effort, though, should fall to the individual artist and crafter. You and I have to take the opportunity to pass on our love for creation to the upcoming generations. Those who are parents should do their best to be an example to their own children and, better yet, carry that on to the kids they play with. The next time your house is host to a play day, why not make polymer clay a featured part of that day? There are many other ways that we can involve ourselves in teaching kids. You can get in touch with local groups that help bring meaningful programs to children. Some of these are:
I am sure that as you think of it, you will discover more children-oriented organizations in your area. Get in touch with these organizations and most of them would be overjoyed for someone to show enough interest to come teach their kids. Why should we take the time? Well my friends... this is almost one of those "if you have to ask..." questions. We all know that kids who have a passion for a hobby or sports are at much less risk of falling into drug and alcohol abuse. Giving young people an outlet for their creative energy can keep them from unleashing those energies in less positive ways. But the reasons are not all selfless. If we want to see polymer clay become an accepted artistic medium, it must span many generations. It is up to us to inspire those who will follow. Another less altruistic reason is that as these young people grow into their own, they will come up with the new ideas that will inspire us in the future. Their innovation will one day bring us inspiration just as we once taught them. Take some time, my friends, and reach out to the young people with your expertise, creativity, and knowledge of your art and craft. I was inspired in Chicago by the teaching of our young friends, I hope to carry that inspiration for some time to come. Tommie |
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