What exactly is Art- Based Learning?

We received so many inquires and thanks for our August issue of Pogo-A-Go-Go, we decided to post it here for all to read and enjoy. It's a "Pearl" written by Jan Southern, Principal Consultant for Wheatland Consulting, as well as an Organizational Training and Development Expert and an Art-Work Facilitator.

Jan Southern beautifully answers the question, "What's Art got to do with it?"

Have you heard of Arts-Based Learning? Most people I ask say "No, what is it?" In the business context, Arts-Based Learning is taking the experience of art and applying it to development of key global business skills such as communication, innovation, and critical thinking. Many Fortune 500 companies have already embraced Arts-Based Learning, and more are contemplating the exploration of this topic to gain an edge on competition. The arts allow us to revisit our creative, right-brained, imaginative side versus the logical, left-brained linear thought processes which we are so well trained to use in the analytical business world.

Take Northwestern University Medical School for example; they are using Arts-Based Learning concepts in the teaching of our future doctors in the field of Pathology, the study of diseases, cell tissues, and cellular structure. They use the arts to sharpen their visual interpretative skills and further understand what they are seeing without jumping to conclusions. Learning, developing and practicing observational and creative thinking skills is imperative to seeing beyond what others see to help gain fresh perspectives in not only disease diagnosis, but most all organizational applications.

In business, we are always looking for a "leg up," something "out-of-the-box" and exciting that doesn't always manifest itself in traditional ways of organizational training methodology. Visual Art is an invitation to reflect. Thoughtful reflection can initiate deeper, more meaningful discussions in order to further explore business issues essential for creating workplace breakthrough ideas.

Jan Southern, Principal Consultant, Wheatland Consulting Group
Organizational Training & Development
Corporate Facilitation
Art-Work Facilitator

Jan Southern is the founder and Principal Consultant at Wheatland Consulting Group specializing in corporate and manufacturing organizational performance initiatives. She has extensive experience in coaching successful work teams, teambuilding, and helping organizations facilitate creative management & leadership programs that drive innovative practices and bottom line impact. Her clients include PepsiCo (Quaker Oats, Gatorade, & Tropicana), Abbott Labs, Kraft Foods, US Foodservice, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., Lafarge NA, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

10330 Dawn Ave, Naperville, IL 60564
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Email: wheatlandconsulting@comcast.net