The joy of learning is one of the most essential components in the joy of living. Our children are born not only needing to learn for their survival, but with a true aptitude and pleasure in the act of learning, for their happiness. Creativity, which we believe is innate in all children, is fostered at the ArtMill school in a broad sense: not only in traditional arts and music, but in learning how to experience and see the world around us in a creative way. The way we draw a flower blossom is directly related to how we pick an herb, smell it, and sprinkle it on our lunch. The eco-system around the lake is not only a living lesson in Nature’s structure, but a place to play and swim, watch the pattern of baby ducks gliding after their mothers, or collect reeds for weaving. Developing an appreciation for Nature and her gifts is an integral part of the human experience that will foster in our youth an involvemnet in our planet’s survival. We believe that if this awareness can be nurtured in children at an early age, they have a chance of much more fulfilling, creative, and responsible adulthood.
The Art Mill International School of Creativity for Youth, allows the natural, effervescent creativity of the children to have an opportunity to bloom, in beautiful surroundings. Children can move from one creative form of expression to another throughout the day, utilizing the Mill’s fabulous facilities: a child may begin the day making watercolors, skip to riding a horse, build a Celtic fort of cherry branches, make music from wind chimes, and “photograph” his or her hand with the shadow from the sun. At the end of the day, they might have some feeling for the structural integrity of all creativity. The stress on languages at Art Mill encourages the cross-cultural aspect of our philosophy, preparing the youth for a future that reaches beyond national boundaries.
