Knowing that not all adults love art as much as we do, our goal at ReimagineArt is to create an environment where people who believe that they have no business brandishing a paint brush nor plunging their hands into a slab of clay, feel safe and supported to interact with a creative medium – and perhaps even change their mindset.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol Dweck’s seminal book on unleashing our potential, mines two primary sets of mind into which most of us fall, the fixed and the growth.
The fixed mindset believes that intelligence – and, to our concern, creativity – is unchanging, that we are born with a certain amount of competence and capability. Those of this mindset enjoy exercising strengths but steer clear of weaknesses. Challenges that threaten to expose deficits are naturally avoided. Obstacles are not something to be overcome because they can’t be. Effort is pointless because if abilities are preset, then attempting to change them could make us look bad. Criticism minimizes our sense-of-self and the success of others is not something to celebrate. Those of us with the fixed mindset eventually peak, with energies going toward maintaining a familiar self-concept rather than self development, as do ones with the growth mindset.
Those of the growth mindset believe that intelligence, skills, and aptitudes are not stagnant, but rather changeable. People of this ilk love to learn, welcoming challenges and obstacles as on opportunity to do so. The effort required to learn new things and push through resistance or stumbling blocks galvanizes learning. Criticism is not a threat but a teacher. The growth mindset recognizes that the success of others means success is attainable to all, thereby inspiring continued effort. People with the growth mindset acquire new knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and successes that are seemingly out of reach to those of the fixed mindset. The fixed mindset plateaus while the growth mindset progresses.
Dweck persuades that a growth mindset trumps a fixed mindset in all facets of life: relationships, education, business, sports, and skill development. Even with the advantages, the fixed mindset holds fast to the status quo, resisting the vulnerability and risk required in putting oneself ‘out there.’ ReimagineArt’s guided art activities provide a safe, supportive, low risk, and judgment free experience where participants can try on the growth mindset for size and take it out into the world to enjoy the convincing benefits.