To be an Artist is to be a problem solver and an out of the box thinker. To develop these skills is very difficult and needs a great deal of patience. For me this was incredibly difficult because I am definitely a very unorganized person so I needed to learn and train myself for that skill of trial and error when working and creating. I also needed to begin taking action for the benefit of myself and push myself to create the best, most quality product I could, and lastly building the confidence to use my creative initiative in other work fields and throughout my life.

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The cause and effect (S1) in art can be found when you take a creative risk and try something new, you have to face either the consequences of that risk or the benefits. Sometimes you can be drawing, painting, sculpting and make the choice to change or add something. You can either hate that change or love it, this has made me more of a forgiving and risk taking person and worker. This has pretty much forced me to be more flexible and forgiving with myself and my mistakes. I had to de-train my brain from being so worked up and just shut down after I thought I messed something up. Instead, art has taught me to look at those problems/situations in a more positive mindset that encourages problem solving (S1) and working around the problem to create a product that I’m satisfied with.

 

I've always been an artist, even as a kid I won a couple art competitions, but it only got serious in highschool. Once I was doing it with consequences on the line, my idea of art and how I create art shifted. When I was a kid, and when we all were kids, drawing wasn't serious. It was fun, playful, and colorful. But growing up and getting more involved and thickening your concept of what you can actually put your skills to, art for me became a way of keeping myself productive, on track , and became me constantly trying to broaden my skill set so I can put it to use (S1). Art is not forgiving. If you don't hold yourself to standards that accurately and realistically align with your life and endurance then you will feel overwhelmed and stuck. There is nobody telling you what to do with art. There is no way to cheat. So it is completely self reliant and you are the only person who will let you down in your process. It takes stamina to push yourself to create everyday or as much as you can, but that's what it takes to get better and become the best for yourself. I've had to learn this the hard way, but luckily now that I have I wont have to again and I can use this mindset for everything in my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creativity has been a part of my life forever. I have a very big imagination that can actually get in my way sometimes. But being an artist this quality of mine has proven to be so helpful and convenient when its time to sit down and create a piece of art.

 

Being creative is a skill I fully believe everyone should enhance in their daily life or their workspace. There are so many benefits to letting your mind roam and pulling out those thoughts and putting them to action. Art has taught me this and most importantly art has taught me that I actually have the power to create whatever I want. I will take this skill and mindset into my future occupation. 

 

In closing, art affects everything about 

my life and the way I approach and think about work and creating. The skills I’ve had to push myself to adopt come in handy in every school and work environment I've experienced and will encounter.

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I often find myself getting along with children and feeling more like myself and free around them more than adults or people my age. A kid's mind isnt thinking about judging other people, or judging themselves. Kids are unapologetically themselves. And most of them in preschool have yet to realize any of the negative aspects of life, which make them so unique in this world. They don't stress about money or any bad things happening in our world.  I have worked at Calvary preschool for 4 years now and the connection with the kids and the life and work experience (S2) that I have gained is un replaceable. Working at Calvary I have learned integrity and responsibility, how to truly respect others' backgrounds and opinions, and how to be a sufficient participant in our community. ​​
 

Firstly, working with children of any age you have to realize the trust instilled in you by parents and your employers. It is key that I set a good model for the children and continue to teach them honesty, kindness, and accountability. In my opinion I think child care is one of the most important jobs in our society. Child care workers can be such a major and necessary part in a kid's life. Some kids don't have solid support or models in their homelife, and being with a kid everyday of the week or even just occasionally can make a huge difference in their life and the way they treat others (S2) . That is why it is so important to support each and every kid with the same amount of passion for helping them grow into good people because ultimately you will play a part in the way they turn out. Kids are very easily influenced and that is something I came to learn and adapt to in my 4 years. Having to be such a good model and influence on the children really shapes how I am outside of work too. Somedays I am in a terrible hateful mood and have to shift my mindset to be with the kids to not ingrain negativity onto them. The morals I hold for the kids and myself when I'm with the kids makes me remember them in my day to day, making me be a better person like I strive the kids to follow and teach others. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Secondly, one of the most important parts of childcare work is learning to respect others' diversity (S2) and opinions. This is something that I am very grateful to have learned from my parents, growing up in a very open and diverse community. As I previously mentioned, kids are very easily influenced, and mainly by their parents. And as we all know everybody's households are different. Along with that people are raised into different religions, situations and general ways of life. So kids reflect that. In my line of work you have to remember and be conscious of the diversity in kids and their home lives. Respecting and being aware of your words, while not making general assumptions or statements, can help make the environment for the kids more comfortable and supportive because kids pick up on the feeling of being seen as abnormal, which no one deserves to feel like. This is just a generally good sentiment to carry on into your life because it is applicable in work environments and everyday interactions. ​​

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Lastly, everyday I am at work I am actively participating in our community, and doing my part to help. In my case I am more specifically helping out the families, parents, single parents and kids of our community. Working at a preschool you are building a generation of potential workers, and definite students. As well as the fact that childcare isn't available in every community, and I am taking advantage of the fact it is in our community, and helping out with it. ​​​​

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In conclusion, child care is more than just changing diapers and running around with little kids. It is building relationships that will affect these kids' lives and the way they integrate into our world and communicate with others.

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Effectively communicating with children is a skill you can't just pick up on a whim. It needs dedication to understanding what kids react to and how they perceive your words and points. This needs an understanding person who can use their active listening skills, kindness and empathy, and a person who advocates for themselves and others. 

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Just like adults, children and their way of communicating are unique to each and every one of them. A child needs someone who actively listens and shows them that their ideas, stories, and words mean something and are valued. This can be difficult because a lot of the time, kids don't see things how adults and young adults see things so it can be hard to relate to and understand. Nonetheless, to make a child feel heard and understood you need to actively listen to what they are saying. In my opinion it is a privilege to have a child come to you with a problem or even just talk to you about something that they are passionate about. It shows that they trust you, and it is just a great thing to see a kid come out of their shell and see how their mind functions. From my observations, active listening (S3) is something a lot of adults in my life and not in my life, don't fully have a solid grip on. Which can make anyone they're coming to with a problem or just talking to, feel unheard and unimportant. This skill of active listening transcends the workspace and can be a very big part of your relationship building ability.

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I think a standard that people perceive childcare workers to have is kindness and empathy. And that skill goes way deeper than just seeming bubbly or overly performatively nice to kids and parents. You cannot fake true kindness and empathy. Kindness and empathy can be shown in many forms. You can be a more monotone and reserved person and still act with genuine kindness and empathy behind your actions. It can also be shown with teaching kids lessons and discipline. If you see kids acting out or bullying or anything that would not pass in daily life, it is incredibly important to check in on that kid and see what they have going on in their homelife and or just in their mental health. Seeing these behaviors early on and checking in with the child and telling them how their actions are affecting others is very important. This kindness and empathy (S3) will get you so far in life in terms of relationships and doing the best for your mental health and others. 

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Along with kindness and empathy you need the ability to advocate for yourself and others. It takes confidence which is a skill everyone needs hand in hand with kindness in your life, to stick up for yourself and others. This is such an important skill in the childcare workplace because there are times that you run into where you need to be a self advocate. Setting boundaries for yourself with children is very important because if nobody is setting boundaries with a child they will never understand how to respect boundaries in the future, which will lead to definite issues. This skill translates heavily into future careers because in the workspace it is very common to get walked over or overworked, especially for women unfortunately. So the stepping stones to gaining confidence to set these boundaries and stick up for yourself can very easily be started with children because arguably they are easier to talk to and come to with a problem. 

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In short, these skills such as active listening, kindness and empathy, and being a person who advocates for themselves and others, help me at work with kids, and will help me in my life now and in the future. I believe these are abilities that every person should have no matter their line of work.

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