Art Is Therapy

Dear Parents,

I know your days are rough, and filled with life's demands but I'm writing this letter for you and your little one. Life is hard already, don't give up. Children are a light in the world and we as parents have a tendancy to put out their light by forcing them to be mature and grow up too soon. In this letter I beckon you to teach your children something in the Arts as an escape. Kids and adults alike have unconventional ways of learning. Sometimes Art is a pathway to understanding so many other subjects. So please with all seriousness, take art seriously in the life of your child especially if he or she has a disabilty. Art has always been my answer. As some of you may know I've lived with epilepsy all my life, and I've always exibited signs of depression which we found out once I was an adult as an exact result of living with epilepsy all my life. Art was my escape, art was my way to cope, and art gave me ways to think outside the box. I may have had to work very hard to arrive at conclusions but at least I enjoyed getting there. Today I have 2 degrees in the Arts and a certificate, so know that just because someone is a little different doesn't mean that it's completely impossible. 

Love 

Shakana Borders.

As an Art Teacher I've had the wonderful opportunity to teach little kids ages 6-12 Art, and honestly I wouldn't replace the experience for the world. It was only rough because I was homeless at the time and was in a bartering contract that took a lot of time away from me that I could've been using to get paid. On my first day of Art Class the Owner was fussing at all the kids about their behavior and saying she was going to cancel her order on all the tablets she ordered. I begged her not to. I know that's weird for an Art teacher but the computer is what helped me in so many different subjects including math. I had tons of PC games growing up and I struggled with math but it wasn't so horrible with practice from all the games I played. I realized as an Art Teacher these kids are out of touch. They don't love learning and they are always using good technology as a distraction rather than a way to gain information. 

1. Encourage Art/Learning Apps

On my first day as an Art Teacher, I picked up the tablet and I browsed several sketching apps. I was looking for one in particular, but had no luck. However I showed my students all the cool apps that teach to sketch different things. They all were impressed but not as much as one particular student with ADHD that I had. While other teachers seemed to blow him off as a problem, I showed him a new way to focus all that energy into something constructive. He wasn't a bad boy, in fact he was rather plesant towards me and loved Art very much. It was the only time he was focused and curious, and even ambitious. Exposing him to Art sketchin apps made him curious, and he started to refocus his energy on doing homework so he can be on the tablet and learn to draw.

2. Encourage Art Therapy in School

Believe it or not there is a such thing as Art Therapy. It practices Meditation and Mindfulness. Since you are focused on trying to draw what you see, you are in a calm state of mind. If you think about it children have school all day. They basically spend all day learning and less on having fun, much like adults except adults get paid. This is harder for kids with disabilities because they have health road blocks. Art therapy helps them to get that energy focused somewhere else much like an adult who craves recreational time after a long week of work. I'm not about to deminish the work load of children because they're children and are so called "resilient". We have to fess up to the fact that they are being damaged by our methods of teaching more than they are benefitting. 

3. Arts Connection to other Subjects

We can deminish the need for Art all day but it doesn't take away the fact that it's the doorway to other subjects. Science, math, history, and even language arts. It can lead us to many places not just fashion but also technology. Your kid may want to be a graphics designer but they may need to learn a little STEM to make it big in that industry. Do you understand? To me Art is the hidden niche of every niche. If you ask me it's all an art.

I was having a conversation with my mother the other day. I told her that math is in fashion from fractions to circumference. She asked me if I still hated math, and I told her only when it pops up on me unsuspecting. Fashion is my field of study so naturally anything associated with that I have to develop a skill for. I can get over that part, because that's a part of my trade. I remember asking a teacher in school if I was truly going to need this stuff and please show me where. She took my question as sass but I pleaded with her to really show me. Honestly as a teacher I would've done a simple google search but she did not and then eventually just confessed that she didn't know. I wished she would've said that first. I would've respected "I don't know" over "you're too sassy at the mouth for me," and "why are you such a smart alick?" That discouraged me a whole lot, so as an art teacher I try my best to make it easy for children to comprehend how the dots connect instead of making them memorize the dots. My question to my teacher wasn't to sass her, it was so that I could discover a way to apply the information to something that I understand. This is the reason I teach Anya the way that I do. I teach her that school is important, that in order to help me in business in the future she needs to learn to read, write, learn math, and science. 

I don't know how many times people have tried to take away the arts in schools and say it's not business oriented. They're trying to make little robots out of these kids and I'm not having it! Unlocking my understanding came by connecting with me, and my children are the same way. When they struggle in a subject I try to impress upon them why they may need it. That way they're determined on their own to figure it out with all their might, because nothing teaches better then strong will and self driven ambition. 

Patternmaking for kids 8-12

Hey Caterpillars! Today something awesome happened! My beautiful mini designer (Anya)was virtual learning with her Math teacher today and they were learning Arrays, and Measurements! 

Anya was so excited that she recognized the tape measure, and ruler! These are things I use all the time to make patterns to sew with. When I told her she can learn Patternmaking because she understands Arrays and Measurements she couldn't believe it! 

1. An Array

It's  when you put a group of objects put into rows and columns.  Like these stickers! It makes adding and multiplying much easier!

I have 7 rows and 4 columns of stickers. Do you like stickers? I have a load of them that I bought from the Dollar Store because I LOVE giving myself stickers when I accomplish a goal. I had 5 sheets of these stickers so together that made 140 stickers!!! That's a lot of stickers!

2. Measuring Inches and Patternmaking

Making a Pattern to cut fabric from is the same as using an array to count by the inch! 

Using Dotted Pattern Paper is much like using a ruler!

This is called dotted pattern paper. It's a fancy paper that I use to make the patterns I want.  Every box is an inch wide. It kind of looks like an Array, right? Here I have 2 rows and 4 columns. 

3. Putting It Together

Now that you understand that the rectangle is made with measurements by the inch and Array's, you can make a 4"x4" square like the one Anya did! She drew a line 4 inches long, and then made another line 4 inches wide to make a square!

After this we cut out our pattern paper, and pinned it to fabric to cut out a piece of fabric in the same shape!

This is what it looked like after we cut it out using our pattern! Anya did a lot of work alone! All I did is tell her how to use what she learned in math to create the pattern. 

The only difference between Anya's pattern and an array is that the lines aren't there to tell you how many columns are there but the dots are. I guess you'd have to pretend they are there. You can tell by this picture that there are 4 rows and 4 columns to show every inch!

After we cut the pattern out we took it to the Serger which is a machine that helps you sew the edges of fabric so that it won't fray on the ends. I really don't like it when all the threads stick out on the edges of my fabric after I cut it, and the Serger helps me finish the edges so that won't happen. 

This is a picture of my serger when it was still in the box!

You can be a Fashion Designer Too!

Math lives in fashion, as does the other subjects you learn in school. As Anya's mom, I'm always trying to make learning fun and easy for her to understand. You can be creative and smart too! Being creative doesn't mean just using nice colors to draw. Being creative means that you think in new and different ways to solve problems!

If you understand Array's and Measurements then you understand how to make Patterns for things like Bows. The bows we created here are made with a simple rectangle pattern. The bow on Anya's hat is 4"x6". and the center piece is 2"x3".

You can also make some cool patterns for barrette clips like these! I made these a long time ago as a gift for a new baby girl! I can't wait until she arrives so that I can see her wear them! I just love babies!

Pay attention in school, and find new ways to learn. I know that virtual learning has been hard this year, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Remember you're never too young to start growing a skill you can use for the rest of your life! Anya is 8 years old and finishing the 2nd grade, but she is also a child that has a skill in design. I just use the lessons that she learns in school to help her understand the things she loves the most! I hope this post has inspired you to do the same! 

Until next time Caterpillars, keep growing, and some day you will fly!

Lets Draw a Cat

 Hey Kids! I know it's been a while since I've posted in this particular blog. I wanted to make sure that I talk to you about something very cool! Art. I know! I know! It's not like I haven't had plenty of art posts before but I wanted to let you know that I still have your back! I wanted to get my tone right so I can talk to you about something I love!

About 2 years ago now, I had the opportunity to teach art to ages 6-12, and it was a joy for the most part. Unfortunately as an adult some things got in the way of me fully enjoying the experience, and I ended up moving away but more than anything in the world I loved my kids. I loved teaching them art so much that I've decided to add Art Lessons as a service to my business. If you want them personally I charge $25 for an hour and it can include any form of art from basic sketching to sewing. I do have an alternative option for those who may not have it, and that's to sign up for group. Bring yourself and a few other friends and each one of you will only pay $10 each for an hour!

Sign Up Here!!!

Until I get a full load of kids signed up for my classes I'm going to continue trying to post video's of lessons on our YouTube page just to spread the Word! In my latest video I teach how to draw a Cat! I put it together in a fun little video. You can learn to draw a cat, outline, and color it! 

After you learn to draw your own cat you can make it as big or small as you desire, and hang it up for display! 

From now on I'm going to try to post in this at least once every month, because I love teaching my daughter Art at home since the Pandemic. Most parents and kids don't have much to do and it's my wish that I give them something interesting to try together as well.

Before Giving Your Kids Allowance READ THIS!!!

As a preteen I rejected the notion of getting an allowance 🙅🏾‍♀️ because my mom was a single Parent. She insisted that this wasn't my problem but it became my concern because she'd often tell me how we can't afford this or that, or that money doesn't grow on trees-you know.. things the typical parent would say to the child pointing out a toy or another expensive item when they're young and don't quite understand the value of a dollar. Well.. thanks to her sharing these things I became incredibly modest with my requests and the idea of getting an allowance sounded ridiculous to me. In my 11 year old brain I figured I ought to be doing my chores anyway and not just for money. Shortly after I rejected this offer, I needed money for lunch and sold my first bracelet for 25 cents (that was the price of my school lunch) because I was too embarrassed to ask my mom for it. I literally became an entrepreneur at 11 years old because I wanted to first escape my embarrassment by doing something creative and making a bracelet for myself with my name on it. That bracelet got the attention of some kids in my school with unique names like mine and so I became known as "The Bracelet Girl" in middle school because I created name bracelets. I went on to continue this venture as a teenage entrepreneur, and gained recognition in two magazines. 

So now I'm an adult and honest to God I still don't believe in allowances but I do believe in the principles. First of all, giving your child an allowance will teach them to be responsible to do an effective job when working for someone else. However I stepped into a whole different realm when I refused that notion and began to solve my own problem with my own creative prowess and set my own price. Instead of living allowance to allowance I learned to sell a product, invest in the business by buying materials, and save up for bigger things I may have needed or wanted like my first sewing machine which I bought at 16 years old or at just 14 how I paid for my own cellphone. It was a tracphone but it did exactly what I needed it to which was ring so I could stay connected with clients. I got picked on for that phone but making money was more important to me than having an expensive phone. 

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." We often limit this scripture to only nurturing them and giving them guidance in Jesus, but honestly we need to realize it's Gods will for us and our children to prosper. 

So you're probably wondering what you can do to encourage your child to be an entrepreneur or just focus on skills in general and I'm here to tell you some things I know that aided me along the way and molded me into the person I am. Even if you are not raising quite the entrepreneur these tactics will absolutely be necessary for their lives anyway because they are so basic, you're going to wonder why you didn't think of this before. 

1. Invest in their creativity(Special Gift)

As a kid my mom was highly invested in my creativity. As parents we sometimes have this belief that our kids are going to be so gifted and we sign them up for every extra curricular activity thinking it'll make them more "cultured" or more "well rounded". If we consider it logically all this really requires is for us to recognize some of their special gifts and invest in it.  Tell your kids they're not just doing something cool but that they're learning a skill that could someday be credible on a resume. My daughter is 7 and I have written her resume already. Right now she's employed at Kana Wear as a Trainee. (Yes that's my business) and in fact she has some earrings she created on my website and they're selling 3 pairs for $5! 

Whatever that special gift is that your child has, hone in on it. My daughter already calls herself an artist, so part of her training includes drawing. She does mostly fashion croquis or kids drawings that I leave for her to interpret to me, but the idea is to develop the gift she has into something she can later use. By the time she's 18, lessons in college would just be a review of what she knows already because I've given her a head start. Getting a college degree would be easier considering the amount of experience she already has. 

2. Teach them to Earn, Tithe, Save, and Invest

The other day me and my daughter were in a music store. Like most kids Anya pointed out a toy she wanted and inquired how much it cost. This toy was a skull with candies in it. It cost $3.25. With big puppy dog eyes my daughter looked at me in hopes I'd purchase this but I switched on a new thought. 

"Anya is this really something you want to buy?🤔" 

"Yes."she said. 

"Well… your earrings are on my website and I'm selling them 3 pairs for $5. If you buy this you might be left with a little over $1 if you get it. Are you really going to play with it? It'll be your money 🤷🏾‍♀️after they sell."

After this Anya thought about it differently. She slowly backed away from the toy with the candy. I think she was disappointed because I didn't just take out my card and buy it. I told her without telling her "Buy it yourself but use wisdom". I didn't have to go on a long rant about how money doesn't grow on trees and I don't got it like that(which I've been guilty of doing multiple times) because this time I had leverage. She'd made a product and hadn't yet earned her keep. If she sold her earrings she could've bought that toy with her own money, but the value of that toy had to be reconsidered because it was coming out of her own earnings she labored for. 

3. Turn Dreams into realistic Action

I cannot stress this enough. Faith without works is dead and Works without Faith is just Hard Labor, and not always SMART.  Making a vision board of Goals to accomplish in your journey can keep your kid stay on track. Using this as a device can show them they are truly accomplishing their goals whether its selling, creating or even building a skill. 

Check this out. If I had put my plan together and knew I would've made my jewelry and had a website at 14 years old. It wasn't until I was in my 20's with kids that I invested in a url on Google domains for just $12/yr and a free website host. I tried building them in the past but I had no knowledge and now worth time these things have become a lot easier to build with no help. If your kids are 10+ they can pretty much figure out the technical stuff if you can't (but with your supervision of course). 

To begin try making a LIST of SMART goals with your kids which means: 

• Specific 

• Measurable 

• Achievable 

• Realistic

• Timely

Go through this list and ask yourself "Is this doable? And if so how can it be done, and when?"

So make goals with your kid concerning their skills and business. Even if it's as simple as wanting an expensive toy. Ask them why that toy is important to them and what they will do to get it. It'll really put them in more of a creative head space,  and teach them to drive results rather than depending on you to always produce results for them. In Anya's case she could write a goal that says "I want to sell 3 pairs of earrings for $5 so I can buy a new toy." Eventually it could be I want to save $12 so I can buy a url and build my own website. She'd have to be at an age of accountability to understand this is a yearly fee. 

Do things to make setting up your kiddos business real. Go get an LLC with the secretary of state and set up an EIN for their business. Make their business legit so their thinking changes concerning the value of a dollar, and that'll also give them confidence seeing they are there ones changing their own lives. If you start now it won't be difficult for them as adults to set goals and get into a course of action because they've seen what it's like to put together a plan and follow through. 

We need to raise our children with wealth strategies so they won't be overcome by a system of belief that has them bound. Living pay-check to pay-check isn't fun and to me that's the mentality we're teaching our kids to have when giving them an allowance.  I'm not saying it's a bad thing to give your children an allowance if these things I'm saying are taught, I'm saying it's bad to teach them to live in a pay-check cycle without any real plans in mind. Yes it's secure for the most part but it doesn't offer the freedom being an entrepreneur does or give your kids the running start they need to truly understand the value of a dollar. By following these 3 things you've just given meaning to every cent your children make and shifted them from dependent consumer to independent creators of their own opportunity. 

Entrepreneurship has a lot to offer children if we allow it as parents. It develops lots of skills such as leadership,  money management, understanding of keeping stocks and inventory, and not to mention customer service and business skills. It is an excellent opportunity to develop a child with more than just a little responsibility. It teaches them management overall and how to make executive decisions. Most of the things written on my resume are things I did in my own business. Even if I wanted a 9-5 job most employers trust me because of what I've built on my own. In fact regular places of business are now hiring people with the entrepreneur mindset because they aren't afraid to be responsible for taking risks when trying to develop a brand long term. They know they can't accomplish this what they desire with a conservative way of thinking. The entrepreneurs fearlessness is often inspiring and admirable, and their persistence is a rare trait among others as well. 

Giving your child the gift of entrepreneurship doesn't just develop the skills they need in life, but also their, character, passions, and interests which is why I think it should be considered before an allowance is offered. You could also give them an allowance and build them as entrepreneurs so they can understand they don't have to depend on you for very long, and that there's nothing wrong with having a regular job within their skills to further develop them. Either way we must teach children wisdom about how to select work because if we don't we'll constantly be pushing them in this direction where they don't know themselves or what they can do. I know my strengths and my weaknesses and settling for a job outside my skills would make it frustrating to me and my employer. Imagine if we told our kids to go for what they knew though because they had a passion for it. Excellence in customer service would be a constant thing, and employers would have better relationships with their employees in the future, and maybe...just maybe it could make this world a better place.