Class Description
Mindfulness, Meditation and Making Art is a course that was specifically designed as an online version of a class called Raku that has been a popular end-of-the-year class for seniors at CSW for many years.
The original Raku class involves the tactile experience of working with clay, firing the pieces in an outdoor kiln, and meditating together as a group at the end of each class. This new class- Mindfulness, Meditation and Making Art- builds on many of the most important concepts of Raku class: producing work with an attitude of non-attachment while maintaining a humble, creative engagement; working outside in and with nature; exploring the power of the simple form of a circle. In the original Raku class tea bowls are the focus; in this new class, students focused more on the ephemeral qualities of their circadian circles which they photographed and downloaded before each class. While different from Raku, the core concepts remained and allowed for peaceful ways to end the school year and the students’ high school experience.
The 18 seniors in this class were impressive in their level of engagement. It is very challenging to stay engaged when it is the end of the year, the end of high school, and while everyone is isolated in quarantine and long-standing injustices and racism are being addressed daily. These seniors did find their own paths to connect with the work. Along with daily found object circles, they also made some very big circles, some three-dimensional circles, and some hand-drawn circles using their own handmade brushes. The endless creativity expressed in the range of circles was inspiring. Twice a week, students also drew living things for “the plant drawing.” They explored 5 or 6 different types of mediation in and out of class. They wrote 5 different pieces on the Japanese aesthetic concepts of awareness, Wabi and Yugen. Almost daily class critiques provided both thoughtful and amusing ways to ponder the work the students created. The mod ended with each student making a presentation to the whole class based on the general idea of mindfulness. The final project and the work they did throughout the mod showed the irrepressible creative spirit of these seniors.
Almost every class ended in meditation- for many, this was a welcome moment of calm in their turbulent lives. This was true even on the very last day of class, their very last class of highschool, C block, mod 6, June 2020. Breathing in, breathing out.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.