Look at you!! Learning something new everyday.💜

It’s often a common misperception in Western culture to view learning as something narrowly formal—something only to be found or achieved in the classroom or another education-like setting. In actuality, we’re learning new things every day. Much of what we learn and come to know occurs informally and non-formally. It is often spontaneous and originated through our everyday life experiences.

Many of us were taught that the learning done in school or a classroom that provides certificates or degrees for progress and completion was the only type of learning that ‘counts’. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Formal learning that is systematic, intentional, and taught by a knowledgeable instructor is indispensable—but the same goes for informal and non-formal learning.

We are all regularly engaged in informal and non-formal learning. As social creatures we are learning from each other and with each other—constantly. Every time we perform a Google search we are learning. When we work to balance our current responsibilities with our future goals we are learning. When we try something new or find ourselves in a place we’ve never been we are learning. Over the past year we’ve been in a constant learning process about the needs of our health, the needs of our family and friends health, and the on-going COVID crisis.

One of our goals at The Northeast Arts Commune is to help remind folks that we are all active learners. To discourage the idea that learning only happens in a textbook. To remind people that learning takes shape in many forms and that their prior, current, and what’s yet-to-come life experiences provide a wealth of learning and knowledge.

Not viewing ourselves as the active learners we are (and deserve to be seen as) can hold us back from further learning experiences that could be of great value to both our personal growth and the growth of our society.

Learning is a very personal process, but it is one that is shaped not only by ourselves but by the society in which we live. What one wants to learn, what is offered, and the ways in which one learns are determined to a large extent by the nature of the society at any time (Merriam, 2020).

At The Northeast Arts Commune we believe, as a society, we should focus on promoting continued learning (formal, informal, or non-formal) for all people throughout the entirety of their lifetime.

In order for this to be possible a number of things need to occur: learning needs to be assessable and presented in a way that is digestible for those looking to learn. Learning, but perhaps, more importantly, lifelong learning needs to be valued with the immense worth it warrants—especially informal and non-formal learning. And last but not least, we need to see ourselves as the active learners we truly are.

Art, being a multifaceted learning process that includes somatic (body-feeling) learning, is very powerful. The learners in and around Northeast Minneapolis are in need of an art space to gather at, and we are working to make The Northeast Arts Commune the solution. Opening an affordable, creative space that fosters community, growth, and learning is what we’ve here for.

We’ve all learned a lot this past year. At The Northeast Arts Commune, we value all types of learning. We recognize that work you’re putting in to learn something new, everyday! Keep it up!

We’re excited to safely visit with you for Art-A-Whirl 2021!! Stay tuned for more info on our backyard, outdoor event.

MERRIAM. (2020). LEARNING IN ADULTHOOD: A comprehensive guide, fourth edition. Hoboken, NJ: JOHN WILEY & Sons.