sammij said:

Definitely.

It think it starts with almost ZERO art of any kind in school.....

Graycap23 said:

The internet,and computers. People don't even have to think or try hard anymore, just push some buttons.

ZombieKitten said:

That could be an essay title

I think that possibly the wrong things are valued now

I love reading and basically finding out stuff/education recently someone said to me "Oh reading is such a waste of time"?

Also i think people just can't decide what makes them happy so they can be
influenced in their desires by media/advertising which takes them too consumerism rather than creativity. Everyone wants to be satisfied but the information/guidance is not helpful.

Creativity as Sir ken Robinson says is inherent within us all it just basically gets beaten out of us as worthless/pointless or even unfulfilling which is absolutely the opposite of the truth.

Oh and Capitalism obviously effects they way we "craft" goods it has to be quick and functional

Blah Blah

This is a good question. Possible culprits: The ease of getting things through mass production and distribution, regulation and licensing discouraging output, overromanticizing of past artisans (and thinking we could never be like that), distraction by mass media and a culture of leisure, constant transit, a lack of aesthetic appreciation (people nowadays just have crappy taste).

Also... no art in schools and being brought up to think of art as a thing of the privileged class rather than something central to all of our lives.

ZombieKitten said:

Highbrow attitudes drive me INsane.
Snobby artists make me want to poop on their stuff. Like a polar bear.

Like Sammi said, it's all "just Creativity". Any given work's truest value, IMO, lies in the connection between the individual and the item.
[Edited 6/18/09 6:50am]

johnart said:

I don't think creativity is gone... there's a lot of it out there... maybe too much...anyone can learn whatever they want from the internet... the information is at our fingertips... but the thing is... will anyone care about what you've created... there's a million other people doing the same type of thing...

It's like in music... there's all sorts of genres out there... all sorts of music (I'm not talking about commercial music here... go to cdbaby.com and see the different stuff)... It's easier than ever to make music... But the greater the variety, the less attention each of them gets...
[Edited 6/18/09 6:55am]

Graycap23 said:

Wow no good that must be a US thing cause I did art in every grade in elementary and high school, all students had to do it as it was part of the curriculum.

PanthaGirl said:

When budget cuts roll around.....that is the 1st 2 go.

PanthaGirl said:

...most schools have art as apart of the curriculum, it's just that it isn't as nurtured - or as funded - enough as other courses

sammij said:

Art classes at my schools were of good quality, I'm sorry to hear it's not held in high regard there. The work, exams and grading in art were as important as any other subject we had to complete, such as maths or science.

PanthaGirl said:

Nope not here.

Kids that are not "into" art often take Art (usually an elective, unlike sports/gym class) as an easy "goof off" period.

And if budget is an issue, Art programs will usually be discontinued before a sport.

johnart said:

Wow okay I hear yah it's so different there. We had to do art, just like we had to do english, maths, phys ed, geography, history etc. It's only from year 10 to 12 that students are given opportunities to choose other subjects like home economics, literature, political studies etc as electives. Another good inclusion is LOTE (languages other then english). Students that go to a private school apart from high school, for ethnic studies as an elective like Greek, Italian, Spanish etc are inclusive to final overall grading as it's part of the board of education. Also the students do one less subject during the day at high school cause they complete it at the other school once a week. I did LOTE for 12 years lol.

sammij said:

Well said sister

Mach said:

merci

I don't think creativity is dead, it's just not being encouraged really

Graycap23 said:

May be true though PARENTS are supposed to be the #1 teacher

the public school system ( maybe even some private too ) is much a buncha crap and outdated huge - where it lacks, it is our job as parents to step up and teach

thekidsgirl said:

Again IMO - we need to look at the parents & society as a whole and not just point the fingers at schools

Mach said:

it's true
my niece (she'll be 6 next wednesday) is really just getting into her school now, but ever since I've always made sure she had paints and crayons and colouring books around... her first artist set I bought at the Guggenheim
She'll get those when she's about 10
She's showing a real appreciation for the arts at 5, even getting recommendations to schools of art in the city by her school teachers...

it really starts with her home surroundings before school
the teachers have a lot on their plate as it is what with tight curriculums and often being reprimanded for teaching outside of them...

sammij said:

and that is where it should continue to be taught and nurtured

ZombieKitten said:

Great thread and subject. Kudos.

My answers are short and to the point: The internet, and laziness. They go hand in hand, and no matter how someone dices it, most takes and responses on it would probably be correct to some degree.

Mach said:

True but there are a lot of good parents that have no interest in art in any form. School is typically the 1st real exposure 2 such things.

Nothing. Creativity is alive.

sammij said:

really cool!

technology has made things too easy. it seems like everything you could possibly need has already been invented.

nessesity breeds invention, what else do we need.

Mach said:

Thats what I was thinking...It seems like creative activities like music lessons, and dance class, and art camp just aren't pushed like they used to be. I work with kids and I meet a plenty of them that can sing, or draw but hardly any have been cheered on for those talents

Mach said:

I totally agree.

When I was around 6, I had a babysitter who taught me to knit (using a pair of pencils, because I didn't have needles). When my mom saw that I liked it, she got me some #11 needles (a good size to learn on) and some yarn, and I started making scarves. She taught me how to cut out a sewing pattern, and I made a dress for my Barbie doll when I was 8. (A pink and white gingham sheath.) I made my first dress for myself at 12 (a purple jumper).

My mom showed me how to do a level measure when I was 9, then handed me a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and said, "Go to it!"

I started playing recorder at 7, piano at 8, violin at 9 and clarinet at 11. Acted in my first play at 8 (at which point, my parents put me into acting classes) and played my first lead at 11.

Outside of learning the basics of sewing, and the violin and clarinet lessons, none of that was done in school. My parents didn't have a lot of money, but they made sure that my sisters and I all pursued creative endeavors. Neither of them had those kinds of opportunities growing up (first because of the Depression and then because of the War) - and they were determined that their kids would get to do the things they didn't.

Of course, that meant that we missed out on sitting on our butts in front of the TV.