Om Haubro Kunstskole

“Verden har brug for modige kunstnere.”   (Engelsk version nedenfor)

Nysgerrighed driver vores lyst til at skabe. Vi skaber for at udtrykke vores tanker og følelser, især dem, der bringer os glæde. At opdage en ny evne er en rejse mod selvtillid, mens det at lære tålmodighed hjælper os med at overvinde frustration. Det lærer os, at det, vi skaber, ikke altid behøver at være perfekt, og denne erkendelse frigør os fra frygten for at fejle. Uden den frygt kan vi nærme os vores kreativitet med ubegrænsede muligheder og mod.
At være kunstner er for mig ikke et erhverv; det er en livsstil. Min identitet som kunstner slutter ikke, når jeg færdiggør et maleri. At være kunstner betyder konstant at søge smukke måder at udtrykke min nysgerrighed på. Verden er fuld af fantastiske ting, men for virkelig at værdsætte dem skal vi forblive åbne og tage os tid til at observere.

Som billedkunstlærer er min mission at inspirere andre til at se deres potentiale gennem nysgerrighed. Ved at lære tålmodighed og accept ønsker jeg at hjælpe andre med at føle sig hele og opdage glæden ved kreativt udtryk.
Som lege-designer er leg en integreret del af både min motivation og tilgang til skabelse. Jeg prioriterer at designe inkluderende og fantasifulde rum som en grundlæggende forudsætning for at fremme forbindelse og vækst. Ved at omfavne en legende tilgang åbner jeg op for nye veje og oplevelser gennem den kreative proces.

I min rolle som designunderviser bruger jeg leg til at støtte udvikling, forbedre læring og berige oplevelser. Min professionelle baggrund spænder over en mangfoldig række af traditionelle og moderne håndværk samt innovative og utraditionelle byggeprojekter drevet af forskning og eksperimentation.

Proces og oplevelseKurserne på Haubro Kunstskole er proces- og oplevelsesorienterede. Vi fokuserer på kreativitet og kunstnerisk frihed frem for et specifikt resultat. Vi ser det endelige resultat som en del af processen og ikke som en målestok for succes. Færdigheder er individuelle og øges gennem gentagelse, selvobservation og forsøg og fejl. Kreativitet opstår ikke kun ved at gøre, men også ved at opdage.

Hvis vi ser på, hvordan kreativitet sker, vil vi vide, at det tager tid og øvelse, og det sker ikke altid i ét enkelt spring. Det kommer til os gennem viden og erfaring, gennem hvileperioder, innovation og pludselige indsigter. En time afsat til en lektion handler om at udvide erfaring, teknikker og forståelse. Kreativitet bliver lettere og hyppigere, når vi har flere af disse erfaringer.

Hvad er produktorienteret kunst?Når man underviser i kunst, fokuserer mange skoler på et slutprodukt og trin-for-trin-instruktioner med materialer beregnet til at nå et bestemt mål eller ligne en kopi af en model. Dette ser vi i kunstværker, der hænger i skolekorridorerne, og de ser alle ens ud. At arbejde stift og trin for trin begrænser ofte de kreative muligheder.

Hvad er processorienteret kunst?Vi har hørt det i mange former, når vi taler om livet generelt, at “rejsen er den vigtigste del”. Processoriteret kunst fokuserer på processen frem for det endelige produkt. Det er færdighederne, materialerne og metoderne, vi bruger til at skabe et kunstværk. Det tilbyder også muligheder for at tilegne sig nye færdigheder og opdage nye måder at gøre tingene på.

Nøgleelementerne i processorienteret kunst:

• Der er ingen model eller prøve at følge.
• Der er ingen rigtig eller forkert måde at skabe på.
• Fokus er på oplevelsen og udforskningen af materialer, værktøjer og teknikker.
• Oplevelsen er afslappende.
• Kunsten er helt elevernes egen.
• Kunstoplevelsen er elevens valg.

Nysgerrighed som en livsanskuelse
Jeg har været en kreativ sjæl i det meste af mit liv, men jeg betragtede mig ikke som en kunstner, før jeg begyndte at forstå, at kunst ikke kun handlede om at skabe et færdigt produkt. Det er en proces, der er blevet en livsstil for mig.

Konklusion
Jeg tror på, at undervisning i kunst bør handle om at guide elever til selvopdagelse, gøre dem bevidste om deres nysgerrighed og handle på den i en eller anden form. Færdigheder forbedres gennem øvelse og gentagelse. Eleverne opfordres altid til at øve sig uden for studiet.
Nysgerrighed er drivkraften bag både kreativitet og læring, og ved at fokusere på processen kan vi inspirere til personlig vækst og ægte kunstnerisk udtryk.

Curiosity is creativity

“The world needs brave artists.”

Curiosity and excitement drive my desire to create. We create to express our thoughts and feelings, especially those that bring us joy. Discovering a newfound ability is a journey toward self-confidence, while learning patience helps us overcome frustration. It teaches us that what we create doesn’t always need to be perfect, and this realization frees us from the fear of failure. Without that fear, we can approach our creativity with limitless opportunities and bravery.

Being an artist, for me is not an occupation, it is a way of life. My identity as an artist doesn’t end when I complete a painting. Being an artist means continually seeking beautiful ways to express my curiosity. The world is full of amazing things, but to truly appreciate them, we must remain open and take the time to observe.

As an art teacher, my mission is to inspire others to see their potential through curiosity. By teaching patience and acceptance, I aim to help others feel whole and discover the joy of creative expression.

As a play-designer, playfulness is an integral part of both my motivation and approach to creation. I prioritize designing inclusive and imaginative spaces as a foundation for fostering connection and growth. By embracing a playful mindset, I unlock new pathways and experiences throughout the creative process.

In my role as a design educator, I leverage play to support development, enhance learning, and enrich experiences. My professional background spans a diverse array of traditional and modern crafts, as well as innovative and unconventional construction projects driven by research and experimentation.

Process and experience

The courses at Haubro Kunstskole are process and experience oriented. We focus on creativity and artistic freedom instead of a specific result. We see the final result as a part of the process, and not a measure of accomplishment. Skills are individual and increase through repetition, self-observation, and trial and error. Creativity happens not just by doing but also by discovery. If we look at the way creativity happens we will know that it takes time and practice and it doesn’t always happen in one fail-swoop. It comes to us through knowledge and experience, through periods of rest, through innovation and through sudden realization. An hour set aside for a lesson is about expanding experience, techniques and understanding. Creativity becomes easier and more frequent when we have more of these. Creativity often combines known concepts in novel ways. Most create because they have an intrinsic motivation to do so; we do it because we enjoy the process. Our outcomes are not always desirable, but it gives us the experience and an understanding to try again and in in the process  makes us resilient and patient. A focus on processes will teach us more about ourselves and our abilities than a product-based orientation.

What is product oriented art?
When teaching art, many schools focus on a final product and step by step instructions with materials meant to reach a specific goal or to resemble a copy of a model. We see this by the artwork hanging in the school hallways and they all look the same. Working rigidly and step by step often limits creative possibilities.  It is common in schools to see artwork that resemble the others. In my experience in teaching art, kids love the chance to be able to create for themselves, especially when they have access to a variety of materials. Learning to follow instructions is important for child development, but working creatively and without limitations is just as important.  Parents often times expect and are used to seeing their child’s work looking like every other’s artwork, but in most of these cases their children are not learning to be creative. The focus is more about learning to follow instructions and what they achieve is a product that more than likely lacks creativity.

What is process oriented art?
We’ve heard it in many forms when we speak of life in general that ‘the journey is the most important part’. Process orientation means exactly what it suggests. It focusses on the process and not on the final product. It is the skills, the material and the methods that we use to create a work of art. It also offers opportunities for acquiring new skills and discovering new ways of doing things. One might say that this is also the intention of product oriented art. It is similar to process oriented art and we do use skills, materials and methods, but the focus is primarily on the final product and we place so much weight on the work that we lose sight of how we got to the end. It becomes less flexible.  Process art opens us to new possibilities. We explore the materials, we experiment with the techniques, and express new ideas. It holds a different set of values than that of product based work.
“The final form, the finished picture, the beautiful painting is not the goal of art for young children….the goals of art for preschoolers is to: express their thinking, knowledge and ideas; explore, try out, and create with new and different kinds of media; experiment with colors, lines, forms, shapes, textures, and designs; express feelings and emotions; and be creative.”

The keys of process oriented art

•  
•     There is no model or sample to follow
•     There is no right or wrong way to create
•     The focus is on the experience and exploration of materials and tools and techniques
•     The experience is relaxing
•     The art is entirely the children’s own
•     The art experience is the students choice

Emphasis on the Journey:
The primary goal is to engage in the creative process and enjoy the experience, not to produce a “perfect” result. Curiosity and intuitive handling of

Exploration and Experimentation:

• Artists are encouraged to try new materials, methods, and ideas without worrying about mistakes.

Freedom and Intuition:

• There are no strict rules or expectations, allowing for spontaneous and authentic expression.

Personal Growth:

• The process fosters learning, self-discovery, and emotional expression, often becoming therapeutic.

Inclusive and Accessible:

• Process-oriented art is for everyone, regardless of skill level, as it prioritizes the act of creation over technical ability.

Expanding knowledge: we engage in creative activities outside our usual expertise. Diversity creates connections to new ideas.

‘Teacher as facilitator’ is a widely accepted approach to teaching art.
The teacher supplies the theme and each course is carefully thought out and planned. Within the theme the teacher supplies materials and a subtle structure and the lesson is mostly child directed. There is no specified product to work towards. The teacher gives a few suggestions but offers no model or expected result. Children are free to choose the materials such as paint, markers, pencils to create their own version of the whatever the theme may be.

The teacher introduces new and traditional materials. Traditional materials such as pencils, paint brushes and paint are often taken for granted and I enjoy re-introducing the students to their properties and their uses. The paint brush has been in use for hundreds if not thousands of years, yet we don’t always use them to their full potential. The students are also introduced to mark-making by using untraditional and handmade tools that they make themselves. Tools such as sponges, natural materials, sticks from trees, and anything that can create a texture or pattern are also introduced. The intention is to give the student experience with materials and to discover new methods of expression. They are encouraged to try new things.

The teacher builds on existing activity.
Often when students are working, I will offer suggestions to try a new technique or tool that might give them opportunities for different outcomes. Many times the courses are built by what students sometimes struggle with or by what they find interesting, but mostly by what they desire to learn or simply enjoy doing.

What is curiosity?
Curiosity is the innate desire to explore, learn, and understand.
We are all innately curious to some degree. Children especially often have a more innocent or direct way of showing their curiosity. Picasso was known to have said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”  Maybe curiosity is what Picasso was talking about. Curiosity is a driving force behind our creativity. Some questions are seemingly simple, yet when we try to answer them, we realise its a much bigger question than we had thought. Why is the sky blue? Why does a car horn sound different when it passes? We might see these questions as trivial, but they are very reasonable ones to ask.
As an artist, I am insatiably curious about human behaviour, emotions, and music.  These subjects hold an innumerable amount curious questions and ones that can lead you into a thousand directions. It’s how we use and direct the questions that becomes the art.

Curiosity as a point of view.
I have been a creative soul for most of my life, but I didn’t really consider myself an artist until I began to understand that art was not just creating a finished product. It is a process that has become a way of life for me. It doesn’t just come down to the creative process. It comes when it decides to come and it comes in many different forms. Inspiration, divergent thinking, risk taking, and lots of practice are only a part of the process. Desire to create is at least half of the process. Curiosity has always been a driving force for my creativeness.

Conclusion.
I believe that teaching art should be about guiding students to self discovery, to make them aware of their curiosity and acting on it in one form or another. Skills are improved through practice and repetition.  The students are always encouraged to practice outside of the studio.
Curiosity is the driving force behind both creativity and learning, and by focusing on the process we can inspire personal growth and true artistic expression.