Why Art in Waldorf Schools- Part I

"Viking Mom, why is there so much art in the Waldorf Schools? Don't they do academics?"

In Rudolf Steiner's lectured intensively on the importance of art for the human soul. He explained that through our twelve senses we can enter into a relationship with ourselves and our environment.

 I will attempt to explain the value of art in the Waldorf Schools in two parts. 

What are the twelves senses?

The twelves senses are:

1. The Sense of Life
2. The Sense of Movement
3. The Sense of Balance
Allows us to perceive our own physical existence and body. We feel happy, unhappy, sad, et al and we feel the physical positions via our surroundings. We sense ourselves as entities within our physical body and this makes us self aware.

4. The Sense of Touch
Through the sense of touch we make our contact with the world and learn through these experiences and thus gain self knowledge. 

5. The Sense of Smell
6. The Sense of Taste
7. The Sense of Sight
The qualities we learn using these senses are revealed to us. We can make determinations of quality using these senses and learn the difference between a good/bad smell, sweet/sour tastes, colors, and the meanings of color.  We learn the difference between fact and opinions and how to form opinions. 

8. The Sense of Warmth
The Sense of Warmth allows us to feel the surface of bodies and objects and to perceive these objects and bodies within their own defined space.

9. The Sense of Hearing
10. The Sense of Speech
11. The Sense of Thought
12. The Sense of Ego
The Sense of hearing, speech, thought, and ego allow us to perceive our own egos in relation with other humans. The ego reference here is not the Freudian "Ego" but its a referenced to what Steiner called the "I." The "I" is the person identity of self. 
All these senses make us a social and responsible human being. 

Rudolf Steiner believed that using art helps develop our own social and responsible human being. 

Meditate on these points......  Part II next week......

Bless Bless