Re-Frame the Mess

Did you know getting messy is important? We’re sharing projects that embrace the mess, and let kids test boundaries safely and take ownership of choices in their creative process that actually help them regain a feeling of control in a crazy time.

little kids: Getting messy is great developmentally 

Info from Kasey Dutra-Ley, a certified Pediatric Occupational Therapist, children’s yoga instructor, and the Director of Enrich Play Learn in San Francisco.

The Tactile System, or sense of touch, is incredibly important for development. And, the way we feed this system is by touching a variety of stuff- ie: getting messy. 

For little ones especially, hands are the gateway to learning, The Tactile System helps the hands learn where they are and what they are touching. This is especially helpful when discerning hot from cold or dull from sharp.

So why get messy?! Because it feeds the Tactile System, which desensitizes the hands to different textures or materials, which encourages your child to explore with their hands, which leads to learning.

What happens if we don’t feed this system? You probably know kiddos who won’t touch play-doh or do not want to keep their socks on, or even the child who has a difficulty with handwriting. These kiddos probably all have a difference in their Tactile System. 

Moral of the story: getting messy is one of the best things you can do for your developing child! 

bigger kids: Getting messy provides a safe space for decision making grants them autonomy 

Art projects give children choices and can help re-establish their sense of control. The kids we typically serve have had their lives turned upside down by trauma. Experiencing trauma is chaotic and often involve loss of control. Art projects can help children regain a sense of control over their actions by providing them with choices and control within a safe space.

The current climate with COVID-19 can definitely be seen as a form of collective trauma. Bessel van der Kolk, the author of The Body Keeps the Score, says, “Being in a situation where you cannot do what you normally do, where you are basically rendered helpless, that’s the definition of trauma. [Trauma is] being unable to do anything to change the situation. So we’re all living under pretty traumatic cloud right now, of we don’t know what’s going to happen, and we don’t know what we can do about how to control it. So the only thing we can control are our own reactions. So the big job becomes how we can … help ourselves become calm and have a sense of agency.”

For kids, and adults alike, engaging in the creative process grants agency. Deciding what to create and how to go about doing it stretches decision making skills. Process based art that is open ended (rather than step-by-step crafts with instructions and a specific end product in mind) let kids follow through on an idea, make independent choices, and build confidence in expressing themselves. Because there is no one right way for art to turn out, they have the autonomy to decide, and problem solving when something doesn’t turn out as expected, or didn’t look like they wanted, also helps kids think creatively and fosters innovation.

Art can also grant autonomy by being a way to try new things and experience small doses of stress in a safe space. Experiencing stress and knowing you’re going to be okay by training your body to recover when there isn’t an actual threat, is how emotional self-regulation is learned.

For example, metalsmith jewelry artist Cat Goolsby works with Paint Love several times a year, bringing workshops to teenage girls at Wellspring Living. Cat teaches them to use her metalsmithing tools and techniques to create their own pieces of jewelry. It often takes the girls several tries to get their pieces the way they imagine them- they often get frustrated but always come back to the project to try again. They start over, or try something different, and they learn new skills, feel confident about their persistence and ability to do hard things, and see the payoff of resilience that can be translated into every sphere of life.

Want more?

• Read more from Paint Love about Process VS Product and Why Art Helps Fight Stress

• Read this article from The Greater Good Center at UC Berkeley about fostering creativity and open ended play.

• Want to learn more about the stress response system? Watch this TED talk from Nadine Burke Harris.