designing a hope box
"Art-making fosters hope in many ways because it innately embodies the attributes of hope. Making art requires envisioning the end product and deciding what steps to take to get there. In other words, engaging in any art-making requires will-power and way-power thinking. Engaging in this type of thinking develops a child's ability to think like this in other life situations. What is learned in art-making can be applied to life" (from course wiki).
The objective of the Hope Box art activity is for the participant to envision his or her future and identify the steps and goals that must be accomplished to realize this dream. This was a meaningful activity that helped me realize the importance of envisioning my future and identifying the ways in which I can work toward this goal.
The objective of the Hope Box art activity is for the participant to envision his or her future and identify the steps and goals that must be accomplished to realize this dream. This was a meaningful activity that helped me realize the importance of envisioning my future and identifying the ways in which I can work toward this goal.
The front side of my hope box focuses on my future. My vision for "where I am going" can be seen through a window. The landscape of my vision for hope is defined by my desire to be a faithful disciple of Christ, to maintain my health and my passion for nature (and enjoying the fruits and veggies of the Earth), to foster my sense of wonder, and to feed my hunger for knowledge and my love for creating art. I hope to continue to explore my inner creativity and I desire to use my talents to better my community and those with whom I experience life.
The three tall sides of my hope box have special relevance. They each represent aspects of my identity that will contribute to my future successes in life. The right side of the box represents my artistic nature. Through visual elements that influence my artwork (nature, pattern, color, form), my creativity is represented. The back side of the box represents my ability to form strong, nurturing relationships. My future endeavors in community arts will rely heavily on this strength and will make me an effective community servant. The final side (left side) of the box represents my faith in God. I am grateful for the hope He has instilled in me. I rely on His strength and guidance as I climb each ladder rung towards a brighter future.
The rungs of the ladder that I must climb to see this vision are steps and life goals I must accomplish in order to advance towards this future.
I hope to:
- love genuinely
- not give into fear
- trust in God's wisdom
- have hope for something better
- be resilient and persevere
- be patient and open to new possibilities
- faithfully create
- enjoy and embrace the journey
- be forever curious
I hope to:
- love genuinely
- not give into fear
- trust in God's wisdom
- have hope for something better
- be resilient and persevere
- be patient and open to new possibilities
- faithfully create
- enjoy and embrace the journey
- be forever curious
This is a great activity for participants of all ages. Everyone, regardless of their age, has dreams and hopes for their future! Using magazines to collect collage images was an easy tool that can be used for people who do not feel comfortable in their ability to draw the images they envision. I think it would be interesting to design another hope box in a few years and see how different the vision for my future looks at that point in my life.