On paper, it’s just a bunch of lines.
But mentally, doodling can be a way to help people relieve anxiety, find calm and listen better. Putting pen to paper has always been the key to John Donato’s arts education programs. This month, the local painter visited Sussex Academy, letting students decompress with art.
“My job is to really teach them and empower them with creative bravery,” Donato said on March 12, just before eighth-graders entered the gym.
First, the students relaxed by drawing and scribbling on their tables, covered in butcher paper. Then Donato led them in an art lesson, explaining how sketching can pull the distractions from your mind onto paper. His “Doodley Brain” program aims to relieve anxiety and help build creativity. By pushing through mistakes, people learn how to pivot and be resilient.
“Diversity is a good thing if they don’t freak out when they run into it,” Donato said.
After an hour, students were showing off drawings: a praying mantis, a parrot, dog, fish, balloons, delicate winged insects and sometimes just abstract lines. Community volunteers helped the entire time, with setup, supplies and suggestions.
This was one of many school events hosted by the Freeman Arts Pavilion, a program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. The Selbyville-area stage is popular for live shows, but the overall nonprofit aims to bring impactful arts education to local schools on a regular basis, from theater and dance performances to poetry and art workshops.
The same day, artist Saz Ross continued a schoolwide collaborative artwork about bravery and creativity, at Love Creek Elementary School near Lewes.
