Inspiring Graffiti

Arts Explorer #9: Guerilla Art

My most artistic ability is seen in written graffiti and sketched pictures. I enjoy writing particular words and/or quotes that have meaning to me and sharing them with others. The guerilla art which I have decided to leave for the public to see is none other than written graffiti of a quote that someone very important in my life had once said to me, “Happiness is like a butterfly”. Along with this quote, I have also drawn a small sketch of a butterfly. Drawing graffiti does not take as long as it would to sketch a picture, as it has many more details.

After completing my guerilla art on paper, I attached it to a cork board at a school and gave some time for others to notice it. As I waited around the corner, I saw a few students pass by and give a quick look, whereas others stopped and starred at it. Some even touched it and one student in particular said, “wow”. Hearing and seeing these reactions made me feel proud and good about my artwork. I took my guerilla artwork home and left it on my kitchen table, to soon hear my family’s thoughts about it. My family seemed to be impressed with my abilities and told me I had done a great job. This process had made me realize that sharing my artwork with others can make me feel proud, as well as bring amusement to others.          

I believe my guerilla art contains a great deal of originality, as I have a particular unique style of graffiti inspired writing. Originality is technically defined as “a term characterizing thinking that is unique and unusual” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 342). I believe graffiti consists of an artist’s expression of them self, their beliefs, or something which is of great importance to them. With this being said, graffiti artists incorporate meaningful experiences or thoughts in their art work, which illustrate their uniqueness. Future implications to incorporate and encourage children to take part in art activities that allow them to express themselves can include letting children choose their own art activities during free-time, providing various materials to enrich their environment and taking time to address their creations.    

Schirrmacher, R & Fox J.E. (2009). Art & Creative Development for Young Children. Delmar: Cengage Learning.