"I don't know, but I care!"

My computer dictionary defines empathy as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” We are not born with this ability. We learn it.  I am a very sensitive and empathetic person myself, sometimes to a fault, and whether or not it always happens, I feel that it is very very important to BE ABLE to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”  It could be argued, in fact, that the “…understanding of others, empathy for others is the foundation of a functioning society.” (Catterall, 2011, interview.)  If empathy is learned behavior, then how do we teach it? How to do instill this valuable response in the youth of today who will grow up to be the big people of tomorrow?  Let’s ask James.

I met Dr. James Catterall six months ago.  He is down-to-earth, quiet and kind. James has been a professor at UCLA for 30 years, and is a “principal investigator” at the Center for Research on Creativity, a fairly new “research and development institution dedicated to understanding human creativity and the conditions that can promote imaginative approaches to learning, design, and problem solving.” (www.croc-lab.org)  Ummm… AWESOME!

Dr. Catterall began working in the field of art education with the intention to make schools a more interesting and fun place for kids to be.  After bearing witness to the positive influence art activities and creative problem solving brought to the classroom, Dr. Catterall went on to conduct a 12 year study, involving over 12,000 middle-schoolers. He followed them thru high school, on in to college, thru age 26, recording their successes in academia as well as within the general community after graduation.  He then compared the “success” rates between those that participated in the arts while in school, and those that did not.  Dr. Catterall, after 12 years of comparing data and crunching numbers, described the results as “unambiguous.” Across the board, students that participated in a creative endeavor went on to become more “successful” adults.

He published these results in a book called “Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art.” The “doing well” part of the study referred to academia and what kind of college, if any, the student went on to attend.  The “doing good” part of the study was measured by community/political participation, religious/service activities, and efforts to volunteer while in school and after graduation. James uses the term “pro-social behaviors” to describe these “good” efforts.

Back to empathy:

Beyond the book, James and colleagues took these findings one-step further.  In an article published in September of 2011 titled “A Neuroscience of Art and Human Empathy,” Catterall explains that pro-social behaviors are most always “grounded in empathy.”  This means that understanding and caring about society will move a person to become involved in improving the lives of others.  Logical.  THAT idea, coupled with the data collected from the 12-year study revealing the connection between art and pro-social behaviors led James and colleagues to continue researching.  THIS is what they found:

“The brain areas that are activated by empathetic behavior are (also) activated by various artistic experiences and artistic processes. “ (Catterall, 2011, Interview)

What?!?  There is a connection between the neuroscience of human empathy and the neuroscience of art? Yes! And through this connection James concludes that there is now a“ …neurological argument for why the arts may promote pro-social behavior.” (Catterall, 2011, “A Neuroscience of Art and Human Empathy”)

This is a powerful discovery and honestly, I didn’t understand the extent of its application until I let it settle a bit.  Will this information influence techniques teachers utilize in the classroom? Could creative problem solving become a bigger part of our children’s school curriculum?  Will music and art teachers be valued again?  Empathy is a learned response, so if children are given more artistic opportunities, will they begin to exhibit empathetic behavior at a younger age? Will teachers experience less fights on the playground, hear less arguments, see fewer bullies? Could we create the creative environment that will give children the ability to “wear each other’s shoes?”

And then I thought about the chicken again. 

Dr. James Catterall has uncovered information that strongly suggests art in its many forms may be literally working to help kid’s brains operate in an empathetic way; Art may be helping our kids grow into better human beings.

Sometimes when it comes to getting the attention of “the people,” numbers speak louder than words.  Thank you James, for spending the last 12 years doing the research, gathering the information, crunching numbers, and drawing up ever-harder-to-ignore charts and graphs. Your article urging continued research on the neurological connection between art and empathy is ground breaking and in my humble opinion, could change the world.

May your research on pro-social behavior, art, and empathy soon have an impact on the funding our art education programs receive here in California and across the nation.

Learn about Centers for Research on Creativity here.

Read Dr. James Catterall’s “A Neuroscience of Art and Human Empathy” here.

Watch Dr. James Catterall’s interview on “One to One” with Bill Goodman here.

I can honestly tell you that as a child I did NOT consider myself an artist.  When I was twelve I drew something at school and my parents displayed it on the fridge.  My brother, who was 6, also drew something that day that “made the fridge.” Later that week a couple of our parents’ friends came over for dinner and complimented my brother and I on our artistic acheivements.  I soon realized though, that they assumed I drew my brother’s and he mine, so it was not my proudest moment. I believe my claim to fame around that time was something I titled the “heartman.”  and was my go-to. When I doodled…I was doodling the heartman. He never let me down.

ta daaaa!

That being said, I attended my first adult craft class last week.  I actually felt a little nervous!  The craft for the night was decoupage, or creating a paper collage and then sealing in with mod podge so it lasts forever and ever. Better make it good.

I went alone, and immediately upon arriving, made my way to the adult punch bowl to loosen up and get my creative juices flowing.

Once drink was in hand, I walked over to the craft supplies table.  It was like a mini Michaels!  If you have not seen the ribbon section of a Michaels then it is time to take a trip. I carefully chose the papers I would use to make my collage.  I gathered the rest of my materials, scissors, glue, pencil, sat down next to some fellow crafters, and for the next two hours felt free.

In the end I didn’t leave with a masterpiece that would knock your socks off but what I can say is this:  Everyone there had made an effort to show up because they wanted to be a part of the creative process.  Everyone there was supportive and nice.  The tables were covered in a beautiful rainbow of paper bits, my hands were sticky from glue.  I decoupaged a set of coasters to give my friend Florence for her birthday.  I am proud of the coasters I made.  And although I’m not sketching him anymore, this craft class reminded me that it is STILL all about the heart, man. ♥

Little Junebugs is a boutique and kids crafting center in Pasadena, California that carries the Arton Baby t-shirt Collection.  The store owner, Courtney, is the amazing woman who hosts the adult craft class.  Check out  www.littlejunebugs.com for details about her next event!

Key words: art projects for adults, creative lifestyle, fundraising for public schools, Little Junebugs Boutique, adult crafting, kids art prints, rad love

When I was young I imagined that I would have two kids by the time I was 25.  I also, in my young darling imagination, saw myself, by 25, a successful career woman and homeowner. Twenty years seemed like a perfectly reasonable amount of time to accomplish these things when I was five. And now, although I rent a small one bedroom apartment and sometimes sell the t-shirts I make out of the trunk of my Toyota hatchback, I am still farthest away from the kid part of Plan Trifecta.

Right now I have two jobs. The first, is, of course, the Arton Collection Project. In this job I am looking at children’s artwork, constantly being reminded of kids and the joy they bring to the world. Their funny cartoons, the sweet cards they write to their parents, cut out hearts, and scribbled I love you’s.

But I also work in a restaurant, and in this job, I cringe at the sight of these crayon chewing, cracker munching monsters.  I’m putting their drinks in a to-go cup so they don’t spill it all over the floor. I’m ordering them a kid’s burrito but then I have to run into the kitchen to tell the chef to separate all the ingredients onto different plates because the child “insisted” that he make his own. Argh!!

After the family leaves, I’m on my hands and knees picking up the bread and crayon bits that have been thrown to the floor.  The child, he runs back to me. He forgot to give me the picture he colored during lunch so I could hang it on the                                                                           wall.  He smiles, his pants are falling down.

Although I don’t have any of my own yet, if every color represented an emotion, I can imagine having kids would be like juggling a rainbow all day long.

little florence's artwork titled "me, juggling a rainbow"

Key words: Art in Parenting,  Art in Schools, Fundraising for Schools, The Arton Project, Baby Shower Gift

Charles Darwin writes that: all animals face the same general challenges of life. They need to find mates, food, and a path through the woods, sea, or sky.

I just learned that the specific skills considered to be “higher mental abilities” include: good memory, grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating others, and being creative.  Unfortunately most of the men I’ve dated exhibit less than half of these skills.

man or monkey?

Aside from that, today I am focusing what separates ME from a monkey? And more specifically, today as I travel the path in search of my next meal, a future mate, what are the obstacles I face versus the obstacles faced by most other animals?

We all have predators, my predators will not be feeding me to their cubs but they may in fact be throwing me to the wolves.  Har Har.  For all the intents and purposes of today’s project blog, we will consider these the same. We all suffer the effects of pollution, climate change, and from the devastation of our environments.  The hunt for food, protecting our young, keeping warm, these too, are all obstacles humans and animals face together.

So what then, is the obstacle that separates ME from a monkey.  And then it hit me.  It hit me like a handful of poo to the face.  The obstacle was me.  Me and my poo poor choices.

The choices that are refered to as “no-brainers” are the ones with which I have the most difficulty.  I am faced, everyday, with these so-called “no-brainers.”  Do I get up when the alarm goes off, even if it means being late as a result of “snoozing?” Coffee makes me jittery and sometimes gives me a stomachache. Do I still find myself walking into Starbucks? Should I skip the yoga class and go for happy hour instead?  My choice in these particular situations has proven to make a real difference in my day, so why do I still consider them choices?

I guess sometimes I need that extra five minutes of sleep.  And sometimes I just want to grab a coffee, because being inside a coffeeshop makes me feel like I’m taking a break.  But…I have decided that from now on I will refer to these specific no-brainers as “monkey choices” and if I choose to go to happy hour and act like a monkey then I must have really needed it.

Key words: monkey art, kid sketch, child drawing, sketches on t shirts, art as therapy, child artist

This afternoon, walking out of Trader Joe’s, an older man, he was probably 75, shuffled over to my car. I had just finished unloading my groceries and he offered to return my shopping cart. I watched him slowly wheel it round, he was shaking slightly but managed to push it across the lot and into the cart spot.  He didn’t leave it in the general area, or shove and turn as most in a hurry do. He guided it gently between the skinny metal railings; they are so close together it almost looks as though a cart won’t fit!  Then he pushed it through to the end, until it made a connection with the rest.

I sometimes suffer from anxiety.  I move too fast and then get overwhelmed when everything starts to move fast around me.  I make my lists and, like everyone else, get upset when I can’t seem to cross it all off.  That afternoon at Trader Joe’s, grocery shopping was number six on my list of things to do and pushing my cart over the asphalt, all I could think about was number 7.

That gentleman quieted my mind. I couldn’t take my eyes away.

Kindness seemed to radiate from him; it was natural. Watching him move slowed my breathing and opened my heart.  I can honestly say, he made a REAL difference in my day.

A singer I listened to in my 20s wrote “…if you’re not trying to make something better than as far as I’m concerned you are just in the way.” I laugh now, but it was as if “doing something extraordinary” was on my 20 something Self’s list of things to do.  I used to listen to that song and get all worked up, wondering why everyone else didn’t feel the same way. But my Self “today” knows better. Why did it take me so long??  I don’t have to do something extraordinary to “make something better.” It can be something small, something not just ordinary, but extra ordinary.

Trader joes angel saved my day

Key words: The arton collection project, reusable tote bags, Keep Art in Public Schools, Making a Difference with Art, Trader Joes J

The first time I walked into a children’s boutique to talk to a buyer I was so nervous. I was trying to act cool and casual, clearly not pulling it off to the point of looking down right shifty. I’m fairly certain she thought I was trying to steal something.  I could feel the saleswoman’s eyes on me.  She asked, “Um, are you trying to sell something?”  Aside from being a bit embarrassed I was humble enough to realize I had learned an important lesson. The best way to go about selling something is to be direct, to the point, unafraid. The second lesson followed soon after and it was the most valuable lesson I have learned throughout the process of creating this project.

It is a lesson for anyone that creates anything ever.

Shaking slightly, I approached the sales woman and stammered, “Yes, I am in fact selling something. I am selling these t-shirts, printed with children’s art to raise money for school art programs and scholarships.” She told me that she was owner of the store and then proceeded to look over the samples that I had placed on the counter.  She pointed at the name printed underneath one of the prints and said “What’s that all about?”  I then told her how I include the child artist’s name and age as part of the print because I feel it’s important to give credit to the little artists that participate in the Arton Collection Project.  I went on to say that I think it’s neat to personalize the drawing, that it gives it life and makes it 3 dimensional somehow.

I saw her shaking her head frowning. “No,” she said, “No, I think these would do much better without the child’s name.  When you decide to remove the name, come back and show me the new product.  But please make an appointment next time.”

I thought long and hard about what she had said on my drive home.  I felt disappointed that she didn’t want to add my t-shirts to her store collection. But to be totally honest I felt sad because she didn’t seem to understand what the project was all about.  The project was about celebrating young artists and the awesomeness of their art.  How could I not include their names?  Have you ever walked into a gallery and not found the name of the artist on the wall beside their artwork?   Maybe I wasn’t being clear enough about what the project stands for—  or maybe that store owner just didn’t get it, didn’t appreciate it.  Either way, I decided the names stay.

The second lesson I learned that day was, as an artist, it’s important to always be true to the vision.  Some things can be compromised but some things cannot. We have a gallery of our own now…. yay!

key words: the Arton Collection Project Gallery, Kid Art, Online Childrens Boutique in Los Angeles, Kid Sketch, life lessons