What is Process Art and Why is it Important?

Process art refers to creating art with the focus on enjoying the process of creating art rather than focusing on the finished product. Process art encourages the exploration of materials and helps to develop and nurture creativity.  In essence, process art is a type of creative play where the artist engages in the open-ended creative process of creating something just for fun. This type of creative play is especially important in the early stages of childhood, but continues to be important throughout a child’s education and actually throughout our lifetime.

Here are some of the benefits of creative play and process art:

·        improved self-confidence

·        self-awareness

·        wonder

·        fine motor skill development

·        problem solving

·        risk-taking

·        teamwork and collaboration

·        self-expression

·        observation

·        exploration

·        prediction

·        pride

·        independence

·        self-regulation

·        spatial reasoning

·        imagination

·        understanding that mistakes are part of the learning process

·        social-emotional skill development

I can’t overstate the importance of creative play through process art. When we give children expectations and examples of what their artwork should look like, we can unintentionally thwart their creativity.

A good quality art program will offer children lots of opportunities to learn with an ever-expanding exposure to a variety of materials, artworks, artists, and styles with an emphasis on the foundations of art. However, process-based art needs to be an important component of the program.

Artfully yours,

Kari