Think Like an Artist

Artists make choices that communicate, explore, question, remember, imagine, and express. There is rarely only one correct way to respond.

The Challenge

Create an image that communicates “belonging” without writing the word belonging anywhere in the work.

How an Artist Thinks

• Observe: What details, shapes, colors, textures, sounds, movements, or patterns do I notice?
• Interpret: What does this idea mean to me?
• Experiment: What happens if I try a different material, composition, scale, or approach?
• Choose: Which decisions support the meaning?
• Create: Make the work visible, audible, or performable.
• Reflect: What does the work communicate now?

Your Turn

Sketch three different symbols or visual approaches for belonging. Choose one and explain the choices you would make.

What Did You Notice?

Did your idea change once you started making choices? Could two artists communicate the same idea in completely different ways?

💡 Funky Tip

“I like it” and “I don’t like it” are starting reactions—not full explanations. Ask what choices you notice and what they make you think or feel.

Where Else Could You Use This Thinking?

Photography, music, dance, theater, film, illustration, architecture, advertising, storytelling, fashion, and any situation where form communicates meaning.

🎒 Take It With You

Observe → interpret → experiment → choose → create → reflect.