In the Art of Drawing There is Truth

CHAPTER PROLOGUE

The development of self-identity and self-image can be observed through children’s mental and creative development in stages of drawing: During the Decision Stage, children decide whether to continue to draw truth clearly, or abandon it.

In ancient Greek, positive was to speak the truth, while negative was the contrast. The modern definition of positive versus negative may differ from ancient understanding.

The Art of Mindfulness

Ancient Greek thinkers were practitioners of mindfulness, the ‘to think’ space for conscious awareness. It is a timeless practice of presence by being in the present moment. Mindfulness is without “thoughts” while self-identity and self-image are mental constructs consisting of “thoughts”.

Children are naturally in the present moment. It is a suggestion based on that their understanding of the concept “yesterday” and “tomorrow” develops gradually as they grow and gain experience with modern time concepts. Symbolically, children at the age of around 3-4 years are no longer fully in the present, since they understand what today means, and express the past and the future.

The phrase “the children are our future” is a saying with a layered meaning. A common interpretation is that the phrase carries the believe that despite current challenges of the human collective, the next generation can overcome them and build a better society in the future. In other words, this means that current challenges of the human collective come from the past (“yesterday”), and the next generation are children of “tomorrow”, that can overcome challenges in the future (“tomorrow”). This suggests that the future is already here in the children who are in the present moment.

Mindfulness as a Strategy for Stress Relief

During the last years, mindfulness has gained recognition in the Western culture, alongside a rapid growth of social media influence and interaction. This parallel development raises the possibility that social media, acting as a stressor, has further intensified social pressure on the self. An increased pressure, often linked to rising mental health concerns, may have contributed to awareness of mindfulness as a strategy for stress relief.

Common views often treat the sense of self as an identity as normal and inevitable aspects of human development. From a philosophic perspective, this view is challenged. Self-identity develops through conscious and/or unconscious processes of objectification, which involve perceiving oneself and others as objects to be measured, compared, categorised and judged. Social media has made it even more visible, the role that influence and social norms play on the formation and perception of the self.

Identity consists of normative labels from a “box” for the self-construct to frame itself in. Examples include nationality, gender, titles, roles, education, occupation, ideology, and physical characteristics. Self-identity can’t be described without labels, and dehumanisation are based on labels, such as ideological labels.

Objectification acts as psychological filters for separation and distancing, suggesting that dehumanisation derive directly from it. Such as, “us vs. them”, or “Roman vs. Greek” mentality. This distancing and othering reduce human beings to human objects, creating an environment of self-righteousness, justification, and by extension, disconnection from the inner heart of our own and others. Lack of genuine connection between human beings may be reflected in, for instance, the phenomenon ‘always connected’ through social media and smartphones.

Mental and Creative Development in Children

The development of self-identity and self-image can clearly be observed through children’s mental and creative development in stages of drawing. From the Scribble stage (age 1-3) when children are making marks without connecting them to physical objects, to the Decision stage (age 13-16) when children decide whether to continue pursuing the art of drawing or abandon it based on their self-criticism.

There is literal truth in drawing: Linguistically, the word rita means “to draw”, and in Sanskrit, rta [rita], have the meaning “truth, order”. Additionally, rita as a Greek word (ρητά) translates as “explicitly”, “clearly” and “unequivocally”, to indicate something that is said (or drawn) directly, openly, and with clarity.

Semantically, altogether, the word rita carries the meaning: to draw truth clearly, and order explicitly. This knowing gives a more symbolic and deeper view on the act of drawing. As for example, during the Decision stage, children decide whether to continue pursuing the art of ‘drawing’ or abandon it based on their self-criticism. In a metaphoric sense, they decide to draw truth clearly, and order explicitly, or abandon it. Additionally, children can continue drawing without truth, known as realism.

In reality, the Decision stage can be noticed in children already around the age 3-4, an age when several important developmental phenomena coincide, which we will explore further on. Rita is to draw truth, while the contrast is something that is unclear, such as a sketch. It is a figure that captures dim features of the subject, and doesn’t include details. Additionally, a sketch is a comic scene and a skit: a short, humorous performance.

In children’s development, humour enters the stage at around the age of 3-4, and talk about pee and poop (‘shit’) isn’t uncommon. It may be considered humoristic that the Swedish word for shit is “skit”, which as an English word is a humorous sketch. Etymologically, the word sketch is derived from Greek skhédios, meaning “done hastily”, used to imply something done without clarity.

Linguistically, the Greek word ritis, means rational, positive and speakable, referring to something said or drawn with clarity, without reservation, in contrast to the negative. In ancient Greek, positive was to speak the truth, while negative was the contrast. This means that truth was speakable. The modern definition of positive versus negative may differ from ancient understanding.

FOR DIALOGUE:

• What does the phrase “the children are our future” mean?
• What role does humour play?
• What makes truth speakable?