NULAG 008: Relieve Anxiety and improve creativity with Shauna from Art & You in Grimsby

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Summary

Local artist Shauna Daley is passionate about art. She contends that art helps develop critical thinking skills, fine motor skills, and memory, crucial parts of a child’s development. With her art studio, Art & You, she offers her workspace for classes, instruction, and a safe place for people to allow their creativity to flow. As a lifelong educator, Daley explains how art is critical for a child’s success at school and throughout life.

Show notes:

02:45 – Introduction of guest Shauna Daley, local artist.

03:55 – Daley shares background growing up in Canada.

06:33 – Overview and origins of creative studio, Art & You.

08:30 – Art applies to people of all ages.

09:55 – Dispels top three misconceptions about art.

12:30 – Channeling kids into art helps relieve anxiety.

15:58 – Examples of kids who are learning to cope with behavioral issues through art.

20:00 – Daley reveals her biggest inspiration.

Reinventing Art for the Child in All of Us

It has been said that the creative adult is the child who survived, a maxim that longtime artist Shauna Daley also ascribes to. Her business, Art & You, is an art studio that provides classes and studio space for creative people of all means, ability, and ages. As an artist and educator with numerous degrees, which include an emphasis in critical thinking and drawing, Daley has transformed her talents and knowledge into a lifelong passion.

Growing up in Canada, Daley was one of three siblings who shared their childhood in a close-knit family. “My father worked for the RCMP for twenty-five years and we transferred to new cities often,” says Daley. “(Moving) around so much was really part of the reason we were so close.”

Being a chronic new student presented many challenges for Daley, but one way she overcame her anxiety was to focus on art. “I found solace creating art…it was a way to cope with being in a new place.”

Now, as a mother herself, Daley has recaptured her love of art to share with other families, children in particular. Says Daley, “Our studio is fun, pressure-free – a safe space to create and learn. Kids see drawing as a great way to express (themselves) and learn.”

And though the classes are certainly geared for children, adults are also welcome, especially adults who may feel unconfident or lacking in artistic skill. Daley stands firm to dispel any misconceptions one might have with the artistic process. “Art aligns with the mind, body, and spirit by creating.”

This creativity is also the catalyst for developing critical thinking skills, confidence, and a passion for lifelong learning. Daley feels extremely passionate about children channeling these innate gifts and talents. She has noticed many times that when an unruly or rebellious child is given the opportunity to work on some type of creative medium, the results usually shock their parents. The same kids that couldn’t sit still for five minutes can spend hours painting under Daley’s careful tutelage. “It’s all about engaging the creative process.”

Daley draws from one of her favorite inspirations, Leonardo Da Vinci. He famously said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” This notion of art, spirit, and creativity has also come directly from one of Daley’s own students.

“(A young student) told me that if there was no art, there would be no me…essentially saying, ‘If art didn’t exist, then I wouldn’t exist.’”

This stunning statement sums up exactly why Daley provides a safe house for students of all talents and abilities. Those who attend her classes are bound to succumb to the same passion that she also adheres to, mainly that art is essential to our entire being and in all aspects of the human experience.

Besides Da Vinci, Daley also draws inspiration from the work of author Judith Groch and her book The Right to Create. The book explains that art is more than putting colors on paper, cutting shapes and blocks, it is a deep and uniquely human expression of the soul.

“Art helps develop a developing brain and helps with experiencing life.”

Resources:

Art in You online: http://artandyou.ca/