Acting on the world
Arts and crafts
In shortMaking things gives quick, honest feedback, no single right answer, and a shape for feelings outside the head.
The idea
Drawing, painting, clay, sewing and collage give fast, honest feedback: the hand moves and the page changes. The person decides what happens next, mistakes can be painted over and there is no single right answer. Making things also gives feelings a shape outside the body, which can make them easier to talk about.
How to start
- Offer materials and time without a target: ‘let’s see what happens if…’
- Talk side by side about the work, not about the person.
- Keep some pieces and look back at them together later.
What to look for
What to look for: no provider needed. If there are classes, look for small groups, an adult who shows more than corrects, and time to finish things.
The common mistake
Marking or correcting the work, which turns exploring into being judged.
Want to know more?
Start here
Short, plain pieces by the researchers and good writers.
The science behind itHow strong the evidence is, the model, videos and references.
How strong the evidence is
A way of thinking A lens for interpreting what a child does, not a rule from trials.
Making something is a cycle of prediction, action and error: the maker predicts the mark, acts and compares. Van de Cruys and Wagemans (2011) propose that the pleasure of art comes from prediction errors that are then resolved. Andersen et al. (2023) describe play as creating, on purpose, surprises that can be reduced, and crafts allow this at a pace the person controls. For formulation: they are low-cost settings in which to observe tolerance of error, planning and persistence, and to practise them.
References
- Van de Cruys, S., & Wagemans, J. (2011). Putting reward in art: A tentative prediction error account of visual art. i-Perception, 2(9), 1035–1062.
- Andersen, M. M., Kiverstein, J., Miller, M., & Roepstorff, A. (2023). Play in predictive minds: A cognitive theory of play. Psychological Review, 130(2), 462–479.
Found this useful? Buy Ricardo a coffee