MAKE ART TODAY

by Wendy Yang Clark

The creative genius of my seven-year-old, Rae :)

Creativity isn’t always easy to define, but you know it when you feel it. It’s in the way paint colors mix together on a wooden fish, how beads click into place on a necklace, and how clay squishes between tiny fingers. Today we took the kids to visit the Art Barn in Maine’s Northeast Harbor, a space where the spirit of creativity is very much alive and well. Run by the prolific and uber-creative sculptor Dan Falt, the barn is a sanctuary for artistic exploration, where kids show up and are given materials to work with, and the only rules are ‘no cell phones’ and ‘say please and thank you’. Falt’s work is a fascinating blend of found objects and natural elements, incorporating materials like driftwood and scrap metal. His pieces, many of which are whimsical animal sculptures carved from pine, like a three-foot-tall bunny baring its sharp fangs or a poodle driving plastic Little Tyke car, transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, showing that creativity doesn’t have to be grand or elaborate - it can be about seeing potential in what’s already around us.

This got me thinking about how movement, like art, can be a form of creative expression. When we move, we’re not just going through the motions. Whether you’re flowing through a yoga sequence, dancing to your favorite song, or even just stretching after a long day, you’re engaging in a creative process. 

And here’s the thing: creativity isn’t just about art supplies and studio spaces. It’s in the way we move, too. Every time we move our bodies, we’re engaging in a kind of artistic expression. We’re composing, improvising, and experimenting. Movement can be just as creative as making visual art, activating similar parts of the brain and allowing us to explore new forms and rhythms. 

Research shows that physical activity - especially when it involves complex movements like dance or yoga - stimulates the brain’s creative centers. It’s not just about the endorphins; it’s about the way movement encourages us to think outside the box, to see the world from different angles, and to solve problems in innovative ways.

Inversions are a great way to see the world from a new point of view

So the next time you roll out your mat or lace up your sneakers, think of it as more than just a workout. It’s a creative endeavor, a chance to use your body the way you’d use a paintbrush or a ball of clay. You’re taking the raw materials of your body and your breath and shaping them into something uniquely your own. Movement, like art, can be a way of shaping and exploring the world around us, finding meaning and joy in the process of creation. And just like an afternoon at the Art Barn, the magic isn’t in the finished product, but in the act of creation itself.