More than just pretty pictures

When it is time to go to art class at the quaint, old Maidstone Primary School, the children rush down to the large art room with the big, green door.

There, they are welcomed by a thin lady with Harry Potter glasses, short, straight, burnt orange hair, wearing statement jewelry, and a wooden rattle in hand.

This is Sabine Whitehead.

She has been the creative heartbeat of the little school for the past 17 years, although she never wanted to be a teacher.

“Becoming a teacher was my father’s idea. I always wanted to do something creative, but he thought art was a waste of time,” said Sabine, who completed her teaching degree, but then went into fashion design.

“I worked in the textile industry and lectured pattern design to second year students.”

When Sabine moved to Maidstone 25 years ago, where her husband, Mike, became the headmaster, she enjoyed the time at home with their two children, Alexander and Saskia.

“A few years later, the school needed an art teacher and Mike asked me to fill in just until they found someone,” said the cool, arty lady, who shakes her wooden rattle when the children need to be quiet.

But it was not long before she realised teaching art was her calling.

“It is wonderful to see what children produce and seeing them enjoy art makes it all worth it.”

She said children are creative by nature.

“They play, they act, dance, tell stories and rearrange their own world. Their creativity needs to be nurtured and stimulated for future learning.”

Sabine said art is vital to the learning process of children.

“Art hones emotional intelligence, insight, analytical skills, spatial intelligence, cognitive skills, planning and entrepreneurial skills.”

According to Sabine, art is a powerful healing tool, which allows us to express deep feelings, so that they can be released instead of suppressed.

“When we neglect our creative and emotional side, we neglect core human values,”

Nothing in our man-made world has happened without creativity and design and therefore she encourages parents to stimulate their children’s creativity at home.

“Cook and bake with your children. Discuss topics with them and share different points of view. Try new activities and please, always provide your children with loads of paper and art materials and let them observe what is around them.”

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