Therapeutic and Spiritual Significance of Markers
The main characteristic of markers is that it is possible to achieve a nice result without much effort. They offer clean, aesthetic work, and are suitable for ornamental and decorative purposes. There is repetition in the workflow by opening and closing the marker and filling surfaces with short contiguous lines. This is significant for people who are intrigued and organized by ritual and rhythm. There is not much need for hesitation when working with markers; they afford pleasure from an easily created aesthetic outcome.
Work with markers may be somewhat superficial at times, revealing a beautiful outer facade without much investment and intellectual or emotional involvement. It is usually associated with stereotypes derived from the consumer world, media, television etc. Often it is almost impersonal, and watching a group working at the same table it would be hard to define whose paper is whose. Moreover, markers also induce work derived from the “consumer memory” and encourage group members to make remarks as to who drew the perfect heart shape. It brings judgment and resentment into art. Markers are an efficient medium, easy to work with and thus widely used. The work may reflect shallowness, and indeed, many toddlers and young children who use markers refuse to progress later to pastels or pencils. They may even choose to stop drawing, becoming annoyed when unable to create the “right” images. Exclusive use of markers as a young child deters development of fine motor skills, not to mention the ability to deepen the drawing. Moreover, toddlers who naturally work roughly, often damage felt-tip pens, causing feelings of guilt and shame. As a whole, it is preferable to avoid markers for young children…..”
Here are a few examples of children before school. At this time all are more authentic.
3.10 years old boy, Japanese soft chaligraphy marker
3.11 boy: I am making a whirlpool.
5 years old: Daddy on the phone
5.6: I am writing the address
Six years old girl intrested to draw this fruit.
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