Emotions & Stories

During moments of hardship and isolation, art can be used as therapy, emotional support, and reduce barriers between people. It can be a tool to help ignite creativity and self-expression. This unit intends to give students a chance to get in touch with themselves and acknowledge their emotions. Through a safe virtual space, we express our feelings and connect. Sharing stories, empathetic listening, and representation was our vehicle in this process. We always remind ourselves that the goal is to explore our complex emotions, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, and boost self-esteem.

In this unit, we discuss how we embrace our own emotions and respect others. As a critical element in creating the individual pieces, students include audio of their creation. This audio is about an empowering story that they experienced. It works toward supporting the idea of social-emotional support through storytelling. As another form of expression, students create a conceptual artwork that represents their stories. Our everyday reminder is that the process is as important as the final work and realistic drawings are not the only form of art. Emotions and ideas are what bring our experiences to life.

Mrs. Gehan Habashy

Visual Arts Teacher

International High School For Health Sciences