The idea is to create positive social change with something beautiful. Art
During my years in college as a Psychology major I focused primarily in the study of Neuroscience: the scientific study of the nervous system. I was fascinated with learning about topics that were centered around the change of an individual’s mind. These changes are caused by an individual's perspective of life, or through their interaction with the outside world. Experiencing art through culture, dance, music, and creation is a form of interacting with the world and can therefore change an individual's mind as learning occurs. When people engage in any type of art, they put into practice their learning styles: Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic learning. The three learning styles can be present in an individual, but there is one that can be dominant compared to the others, for example: Have you ever experienced when looking for an address you sometimes need a map instead of actual written directions? or that you rely on visual cues to remember a specific address? If this is the case, then you are a Visual Learner! Do you find your self fidgeting all of the time? Does this quote fit you perfectly "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand" by Confucius, then you are a Kinesthetic Learner! Are you the kind of person who talks to yourself in the mirror on a regular basis and loves to engage in random arguments? Do you find yourself humming and singing to random tunes, then you are an Auditory Learner!
From personal experience as I have interacted with individuals with a neurological disorder including Traumatic Brain Injury, Alzheimer and Dementia. I have observed that Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic memories are still mostly present even when the facts of their daily lives have disappeared. Based on observation at work or as a volunteer, I have noticed that an individual with Alzheimer’s or Dementia might still remember how to play the piano or paint even if they no longer remember the place they live in or even their own name! In other cases, it seems that individuals who are in rehabilitation after a Traumatic Brain Injury learn quickly after they are given a project that involves hand motor skills. Finally, individuals with Down Syndrome or Autism cannot learn by facts given, but can learn quickly through repetition with projects involving visual aids, music, and projects that involve hand coordination and motor movement.
If learning can occur by interacting with art in an individual that has sustained a brain injury, then art can most definitely have the same impact in a child who is still in the development phase as well as any healthy adult. The goal of Your Art Your Community, is to bring individuals in the community together through Art: the art of culture, the art of dancing, the art of painting, and the art of creating. As individuals engage in art, they will become informed, empowered, and will be motivated towards supporting other members in their community.
Art in Alzheimer's
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