Empowering Personal Growth Through Art: Trevor's Journey of Self-Discovery
Artists with Intellectual Disabilities can explore these two easy drawing activities:
1. Pen line drawing
2. Pencil crayon drawing
Drawing The World To Find Your Place
Trevor's on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and growth through art as he overcomes traumas and embraces his unique identity. Using drawing as a medium, Trevor not only finds his place in the world but also builds confidence and meaning in life.
Tips To Start A Drawing Class for People With Disabilities
Combine visual and verbal experiences for people with ID.
1. Make the programme learner centred:
- This means you build the programme to suit the individuals and reduce any barriers to learning. The basic premise of any learning experience should be based on how to engage and empower at the same time. I find that in an education space we often focus on empowerment and neglect engagement to a solitary, individual experience. My thoughts are that engagement should be enjoyed in a community. This community could be sharing an online or real physical space together.
2. Demonstrate what to do:
- Verbal instructions are difficult to follow when a task is made up of a number of steps. Trevor doesn't mind being on a journey, but he is overwhelmed by too much information at once. I suspect it's because it takes him longer to order and arrange the information correctly in his brain. My impression is that one piece of information can become segmented. Almost as if he needs time to consider and appreciate the small detail from every possible angle. If he is given too many steps at once it messes with his thought process.
- 3. Reflection:
- In art we have sessions called 'crits' where art students gather to review both their own work and that of their peers. Art learners grow from the opportunity to talk about their creative journey and identify what they consider to be good or bad.
- These crits can be brutal when studying Fine Art (speaking from experience!)or Graphic Design at tertiary institutions! But we can keep them fun, stimulating and confidence boosting.
- Reflection is a powerful learning tool that always has a space in a deep learning process.
Background and Challenges: Trevor's Story
Trevor, a 35-year-old man, has faced various challenges, particularly after losing his mother then later his sister. Lately he's been grappling with his sense of identity and life's purpose. His struggles are relatable to many, but what sets Trevor apart is that he belongs to a special group of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Despite these challenges, Trevor's innate talent for drawing and his ability to memorize intricate details stand out.Harnessing Art for Self-Discovery
Recognizing Trevor's drawing skills as a gateway to self-reconnection, confidence-building, and personal growth, he embarks on an artistic journey. The goal is to discover his true self and help him adjust to it with newfound purpose and passion.
The Journey of Art Projects
To teach Trevor about various elements of art, including tone, texture, and rhythm, a practical and diverse drawing program is developed. Understanding that Trevor had a preference for intricate drawings, the projects are thoughtfully mixed to balance enjoyment and challenges.Overcoming Challenges: The Plant Rebellion
One of the challenges faced by Trevor was drawing plants. I point at a plant and say, 'how about this one' and he would say "I can't. It's too hard."- Despite his proficiency in drawing detailed cars, planes, and ships, the complexity of plants overwhelmed him. To address this, Trevor was encouraged to start with a simple pen line drawing of one delicious monster leaf. I suspect that he liked the plant's name more than anything else.
Embracing Imperfections: Art Frees You
- A pen drawing is a great way to prevent an obsession for perfection. Trevor was told that if he makes a 'mistake' he must ignore it and simply do the correction on the paper. This meant he had to keep the mistake there.
- Trevor is taught the value of imperfections and is encouraged not to strive for perfection in his artwork. Embracing mistakes becomes an essential aspect of his creative process, fostering a new, open-minded approach to his art.
- Trevor's pen drawing was a small but monumental and neatly precise work of art. He beautifully captured the leaf form and his confidence was booming off the charts!
Exploring Color Theory
Having already covered color theory and practiced mixing colors, Trevor expands his skills by creating colored pencil drawings. With guidance on using the color wheel and associated colors for green, he learns to play with shades and highlights.Artistic Self-Critique
As Trevor progresses on his artistic journey, he learns to analyze his own work, identifying its strengths and areas for improvement. This practice nurtures his sense of purpose and deepens his understanding of artistic concepts like rhythm, tone, and shadow, empowering him without relying solely on instructions.
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