Creativity from the Inside Out

How meditation plays a role in our Art Lab classes

There is a moment in our lively art class when everything becomes very, very still.

Pencils are put down. Shoes off, feet relax. Hands gently cover the eyes. We take 3 deep breaths together to help relax even more. This is preparation for tuning in and feeling.

Before we begin drawing, we begin by feeling.

Over the years, I developed what I now call the Inside-Out technique — a practice that blends mindfulness and art-making in a way that feels natural and fun for the children.

Instead of starting with “What should I draw?”, we start with: "How do you feel today? How did it feel to be cold? How does it feel to laugh so hard you fall down? What does calm feel like in your body?"

With eyes closed, the children become more aware and start to notice things: some feel tingles, some feel tiredness, some feel warmth, or cold, or movement, or quiet.

And then they open their eyes and sketchbooks and translate those sensations into color, line, shape, and gesture. SO exciting to observe!

This is where something extraordinary happens.

When they finish drawing and look around the room and see thirteen different interpretations of “cold” or “laughter,” they discover something essential: There is no one right way to feel. And there is no one right way to create.

Mindfulness as a Foundation for Creative Confidence

Mindfulness in my classroom is not about sitting perfectly still. It’s about building awareness.

By learning to pause and notice their inner world, children strengthen:

• Emotional awareness

• Intuitive decision-making

• Confidence in their own ideas

• Respect for differences in others

  
  

Art becomes more than a craft activity. It becomes a language.

When a child understands that their abstract drawing of “anger” or “joy” cannot be wrong — because it is their lived experience — perfectionism begins to soften. They become braver. More open. More inventive.

This foundation supports what we explore during our season.

From Stillness to Skill

Inside-Out is not the only technique we practice of course. It is one of my foundations.

Throughout the season, children also experiment with:

• Drawing from observation

• Working with light and shadow

• Exploring perspective and 3D illusion

• Seasonal sculpture projects

• Learning about inspiring artists and designers from around the globe

• Mixed media, collage, pastels, ink, paint, printing and more!

  
  

I have learned (over my 15years of teaching experiences) that when technical skills are built on top of self-trust, something shifts.

Children are not copying, they are learning to express themselves.

Mindfulness strengthens intuitive learning. And intuitive learning strengthens creative risk-taking. When children feel safe internally, they are willing to try new materials, new techniques, and new challenges.

The Quiet Magic of the Classroom

One of my favorite moments each season is after an Inside-Out exercise, when the children slowly open their eyes and look around.

There is often surprise. Sometimes laughter. Sometimes awe.

They see that the same feeling can be blue and jagged on one page, soft and swirling on another, fiery and explosive on the next.

In that simple comparison, they experience empathy. They practice non-judgment. They learn that difference is not a mistake — it is richness.

This is creativity in its fullest sense: not only making art, but expanding how we see ourselves and one another.

And that is a value deeply important to me at Art Lab. I hope these practices bring enrichment far beyond our classroom💕.