Fun with Art

By Baharstudio

1 min read

Purple flower

Once upon a time, my sweet student was really mad. She said her daughter wouldn't let her buy a house she liked. I said, "No worries! We'll find you a dream house." I gave her colorful paper, and we tore it into bits. I showed her pictures of beach houses, and she picked one she loved.

We glued and pasted the paper to make flowers that she could put in her new home's living room. By the end, she was super happy with a big smile. Who knew tearing paper and making art could be so enjoyable? That's how we turned a house problem into a funny and artsy adventure! 🎨😄

Doting

Long ago, during my 29 years as an art teacher, I had a fun time with some Alzheimer's students. One day, four of them joined me for a painting session. Excited to get creative, I handed out paintbrushes, but one of them said, "I can't." The others quickly agreed, saying, "We can't." Not giving up, I gave them q-tips and asked, "Can you make a dot?" They all happily said "Yes!"

So, we started making dots on the paper. After putting just five dots, one of them stopped. I asked, "Why did you stop?" She casually replied, I am taking a break to rest and recover from making dots. In the midst of laughter, we crafted a pattern with five dots and then took a well-deserved break.

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Lynn Marie Witt, MSOT Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="Baharstudio" user-id="8799990"/> thank you so much for sharing about your experience using art with students, who had the AD diagnosis. Art is a universal language. You had such a positive impact on so many with art. It just makes my heart smile. I wrote an article about how coloring was a way for me to enter my mom's world. So, so very powerful. I have attached the article link below. Hope you enjoy the article. https://alzheimersdisease.net/living/coloring-through-progression. I have some of her coloring books and I recently moved into a new apartment. I now have an office. I was thinking about framing one or two of her coloring pieces and hanging them as some artwork for my office. I am trying to make this space very special. I think her artwork would be better than anything I could purchase. Again, thank you so much for reaching out. I enjoyed reading your post and how you used art to reach many. Please keep sharing your story. Look forward to reading more. Just Keep Swimming...Lynn Marie, "AlzheimersDisease.net Team Member"
Nancy Craker-Yahman Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="Baharstudio" user-id="8799990"/> Hi, and thanks for sharing. Your article took me down memory lane. As a caregiver to my father, we experimented with simple arts and crafts. He could often create and share his creations with loved ones and friends. In the beginning, he enjoyed painting and exploring with the different sizes of paintbrushes and colors. Together, we made ornaments and photo frames. Later, we moved him to exploring with stamps, ink, and stickers as these were easier for him to use. We would play music in the background which he enjoyed. I loved my time creating with Dad. Thank you for sharing your fantastic work with your AD students. What ideas are you planning to do next? Warmly, Nancy Team member

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