An artistic edge is a competitive edge: Skills children learn from the arts

Lisa Phillips is an author, blog journalist, arts and leadership educator, mentor and business owner who has built her professional career around bringing arts education and leadership development to young people. In her new book, The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World, she explores why leadership skills taught through the arts are crucial to young people’s success in life. She discusses how and why the arts build creativity, confidence, problem solving skills, perseverance, focus, non-verbal communication skills, ability to receive constructive feedback, collaborative skills, dedication, and accountability.

On her website, Lisa reveals the impetus for her work:

“The blog came first and was born out of a desire to discuss how experiences in the arts can influence a child’s development and ultimately their success when they become an adult.  I realized that in my own life, it is because of my extensive background in the performing arts that I have the skills I need to communicate with an audience in a confident manner. But, when I started to think about this more in depth, I wondered what other skills I had gained through my arts experiences that have helped me get to where I am today. I believe that there is a common misconception that only a few people are talented enough in the arts to have successful careers, so others should not bother. But, I would like to explore the idea that we all benefit from engaging in the arts, no matter where our career paths lead us. In fact, I believe that all the life skills young people need to have successful lives as adults can be gained from participation in the arts.”

You can read about Lisa’s “Top 10 Skills Children Learn From the Arts” on ARTSblog, and visit Lisa’s website for the full version, information about the book and more of her thoughts.

via: Americans for the Arts ARTSblog

Image courtesy of theartisticedge.ca