After many years of observing children struggling with school, losing their sense of self and being turned off to learning, I wondered why the educational system couldn’t see the viable and long-standing importance of nurturing the whole child. Indeed, Daniel Pink, in his book A Whole New Brain, sites that our new global economy has created an unprecedented need for a different kind of thinker—a creative, original, and out-of-the-box thinker. Is there a simple and effective way we can meet the inner needs of the student and the new needs of the marketplace at the same time? Yes!
Nancy Marie has created a simple and profound solution—the I Create What I Believe! Self-Awareness Art Program (ICWIB). This innovative approach to drawing uses activities as simple as scribbling to help students free up the mind, activate curiosity and creativity, and put their mind into an open and receptive state of calm. This allows for introspection and expansion of their emotional intelligence. It also enhances their creative problem-solving skills and allows them to deepen their understanding of their authentic nature and the interconnectedness of all life.
How can something so simple accomplish so much? As a professional artist, Nancy has always been profoundly aware of the benefits of the creative process and the art of introspection. ICWIB grew from this awareness. The heart of the program evolved from her many years of working with children and her discomfort in seeing how the current educational system eroded their sense of self and self-worth. ICWIB is rooted in solid science and is taught from that perspective. This creates a practical platform that supports and provides students with the awareness and tools for tending to their heart and spirit in any setting.