Academic Success is Woven from the Threads of Social Development

Allegra and her mom Cindy enjoy a few hours of weaving. 

According to social development research, social development is the cog wheel for academic success. (Yovanka and Winsler, 2006; Parker and Asher, 1987;Coie et al. 1990) The work of Eric Erikson shows that social development is an ongoing process that takes place throughout the entire lifespan.  In today's industrialized society mainstream propaganda has bolstered academic learning while neglecting the continuous social foundation to why and how an individual learns.  In response to the link between social development and academic success, peer based learning and socially based expressive arts experiences have the  potential to manifest academic success throughout the lifespan. 

 "I love it at Weaving Connections. Weaving is great occupational therapy and most of all Lorenzo is an awesome friend to weave with." Robert 

   The work of SAORI provides opportunities for social development and thus leads to cognitive development. As participants co-create with fibers, they collaborate as a community of learners. This process involves reciprocity, joint attention, pragmatic language,  problem solving, critical thinking, self-regulation and the ability to communicate ones needs,  recognize emotions and produce appropriate solutions, and make choices. The aforementioned skills  come together to make up a person's ability to engage effectively in complex social interactions as well as provide prerequisite skills for academic success.   

Lorenzo problem solves how to wind the bobbin. 

Expert shuttle threader Nastassja lends Sam a hand. 

"When I go back to school I am going to write about what I created at Weaving Connections." Taylor age12 

"We all learn from each other in the studio." 

"When I was weaving I felt happy and expressive. I created something that was all mine. " Isabelle age 10

"SAORI weaving has become a meditation for me. My creative expression at the loom brings calm to my day. A calm that I share with my friends and family through the projects I create." Sue-adult  

In many cases while working in a SAORI studio the most unsuspected agent emerges as a leader, facilitating and deepening the studio experience. The leadership, led by the self-directed intuitive principles of SAORI generates the depth of the experience. When something is made by hand it has a part of the maker and makers in it. It is from our hands, our imagination and thus becomes a synthesis of our life experiences. Creating a piece of SAORI woven art work is a  unique and sacred process, and because of this, it tells and validates our story. The process of creation informs our relationships, the evolution of our social development, self-efficacy, and agency, thus proving an ever developing foundation for academic success. 

New Treasures from Old Things

During the week of June 27 to July 1 Weaving Connections partnered with The Hunterdon Art Museum  www.hunterdonartmuseum.org to create a fun filled week of SAORI weaving and Repurposed Art. Our art making was inspired by the essential question, " How can we live within the means of nature? To explore this topic the students discussed their favorite parts of nature, shared ideas about how they can protect and preserve what they love in nature, and explored their thoughts on waste management. We enjoyed the work of classic children's authors including Eric Carl, Frank Asch, Lois Ehlert, Dennis Fleming and Leo Leonni. In the spirit of the storytelling tradition we retold folk tales including the Parrot and the Cat, Sunman and Elephant's Surprise. By the weeks end, each student used their acquired knowledge  about sustainability to explore creative movement, create prints, emblems, SAORI bracelets, nature wands and capes all promoting their personal message to protect and preserve the planet we share. 

Exploring Creative Movement During Morning Circle 

Check Out Our Process

Making Prints on Repurposed Material with Recycled Objects

SAORI Weaving with Eve

Everyday the students collected the trash from snack time. We asked each other "Where does the garbage go?" and we graphed how much packaging each snack has. The #1 NO package snacks were apples, bananas and water in reusable water bottles. 

By day three a student brought blueberries in a covered cup rather than a plastic zip lock bag. 

Creating Cape Emblems On Paper 

Using the iron to transfer drawn emblem onto repurposed fabric.

Preparing To Embroider Emblems 

Cutting Out Emblems

All Pinned Down and Ready To Sew 

We used repurposed yarn and material to create SAORI bracelets. 

Stuffing and Stitching our Nature Wands made from Repurposed Material 

Pressing The Sewing Machine Peddle 

Some Of Our Finished Work

My appreciation to everyone for co-creating an amazing week! 

"I teach my children, you know my dolls, to reuse. And my children will always help the animals because that is what I do." Alice age 4 

If the earth is sad when the trash goes into a landfill, what can we do to help make less trash?  

"We can shoot the trash into space." Ted age 4  

"We need to use less, like when Matthew brought his blueberries in a reusable cup." Katherine age 5

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Learning From Others Leads to Leadership

On May 21, 2011 during Basking Ridge Charter Day  and at the VSA Partners in the Arts Festival on June 1, 2011, our loom was open for public trials. On both these days I witnessed the spirit of SAORI  inspiring pragmatic language, social learning, co-creation and leadership.

At Charter Day the loom was set with a warp 8 meters long by 10 cm wide. Community members joined us to weave "Wishes in the Wind".  Each participant was invited to weave a multi colored and textured strip to embody his or her wishes and dreams. An artistic expression that could be adorned just about anywhere. Some weavers mentioned they would install their work in their yard or bedroom, while others said their work would be attached to a backpack or in their hair. Amar Bindra (age 12)  Ria Bindra (age 8), and Hanaha Coral  (age 10) joined Lorenzo and I in guiding new weavers at the loom. The new weavers transformed into leaders as they showed the following weavers how to load the shuttle, wind bobbins, or work the peddles. Emerging as leaders our community shined  as they shared the SAORI spirit with one another.

On June 1, 2011, Susan from www.artsintertwined.com joined me at the VSA New Jersey VSANJ.org Partners in the Arts Festival at Middlesex County College. Throughout the day I was captivated by the attention and care that our High School Volunteers took to learn from and guide the participants of the day. After a brief personal exploration at the loom, our volunteers, Karthika, Johnny and Sam slipped in to the SAORI way. Through keen observational learning and social modeling they began to support new weavers. I noticed  Karthika, Johnny and Sam would invite each new weaver to choice a color, begin at the loom and offer direction if someone needed to untangle a yarn or shared with students how to embed material into their work. 

Similar my observations at Charter Day, leadership and learning from others quickly caught on at the VSA event. For example, after weaving on his own a weaver named Devon invited a reluctant friend to weave. The friend Jen was very cautious.  Although she had been watching Devon weave, when Jen sat down, her body was still and it seemed to me as if she was having a difficult time starting. Jen's quiet and timid voice slowly whispered, " I need help." I responded, with a silent gesture for Jen to place her feet on the peddles and after I modeled how to slide the shuttle through the warp, Jen pulled back the beater bar. Although, my support was present, I believe it was Jen's friend Devon who inspired her to use the loom."  Simultaneously as I was supporting Jen, with confidence Devon said " Jen push the peddles." Placing the shuttle through the threads Devon said, "Now you put it in." Next, Jen reached for the beater bar and pulled it toward herself. The two proceeded to work as co-creators. Devon would prompt Jen to press the pedals while she always pulled the bar. With a smile and a glow of leadership, Devon replied several times, " We are so good at this. Look, we are good" I turned to Deven and Jen's teacher and said, "Devon has emerged as a leader." With an gentle and glowing smile she shook her head Yes! 

This is one example of how a SAORI loom and the SAORI spirit becomes an equalizer for individuals who otherwise would be labeled with a disability. SAORI offers a means for leadership and autonomy which I believe emerges into a positive sense of self and identity. When I witness this transformation I know SAORI is one experience where equality lives. For me this means that Weaving Connections has the potential to emerge as a haven for individuals with all abilities to co-create meaningful egalitarian relationships. By the end of both trial weaving events it was clear to me that the group SAORI experience truly embodies SAORI Principle # 2 "Let's learn from everyone in the group."  

-A journey to us.......

-A journey to us..... is a SAORI artwork inspired by the stripes of my son Lorenzo Diandrea. After eight months of weaving large wide bands of color, filled with thick clumps of roving, Lorenzo spontaneously began to weave thinner stripes. While winding the bobbin, Lorenzo was very specific in his verbal prompt to "cut with scissors." Midway through his work his verbal prompt while winding thread became "Stop, (winding the bobbin) I want to cut with scissors." SAORI once again has its way of inspiring expression-artistic expression and expressive language. With inspiration from Lorenzo's stripe work I was driven to create with stripes. As I worked I reflected on my journey as Lorenzo's mother. I recalled our most difficult days and our most treasured memories and I could not help but smile at how Lorenzo has inspired "a journey to us." 

As of June 1, 2011 Lorenzo and I will move our SAORI weaving studio from our home to Farmstead Arts, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge NJ. http://www.farmsteadartscenter.com/The Farmstead will not only offer us a community of artists to share and learn alongside, but as artists in residency at the Farmstead we will create a space where adults and children of all abilities can experience SAORI to express oneself freely regardless of age, gender, disability or intellectual aptitude. 

We look forward to establishing a community of weavers, advocates and friends who share in our vision that the arts have the power to weave each of us into a united community. A society that embraces our difference not as a disease,  a tragedy, or a misfortune, but as a difference of mind or body, a meaningful way of life.   

SAORI PRINCIPLE # 1: Let's Venture Beyond Our Imagination!