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Seven Surprising Benefits of Maker Spaces

Seven Surprising Benefits of Maker Spaces

http://www.slj.com/2016/08/technology/seven-surprising-benefits-of-maker-spaces/

  1. They keep them in the present. We have learned from extensive data on meditation that focusing on the present moment conjures a sense of peace, completeness, and satisfaction. In contrast, worrying about the future can cause stress. Planning is adaptive in moderation, but harmful in excess. Thinking about the past is also fraught. It might include ruminating, destructive longing, or being mired in regret. Some reflection and understanding of the past can mitigate against repeating mistakes, but again, too much can taint life.
  1. They keep their blood flowing. Once upon a time, we could sit and read for an hour or two because the rest of our day required walking, standing, moving in and out of cars, stores, homes, and classrooms. Now, the groceries, a movie, even a college course or a cup of coffee can be delivered with a click. This deprives us of those physical processes. Making, unlike computer work, incorporates body movement. You have to get up and stretch your limbs to reach for the glitter, paper, feathers, or scissors. My son and I made bird nests at a museum recently. We leaned over and stretched across the table to reach the bowl of glue. Then we broke from our task to look for more string, to study the instructor’s example, and to look out the window at a robin. Making keep muscles conditioned in a way that using your hands on a keyboard or screen does not.
  1. They foster independence. Projects are about independent learning. Studies show that one key to success is creating an environment that fosters intrinsic motivation. When passion, rather than compliance, drives the task, success is more likely. Inborn talent or a drive to master a shortcoming—some people just have to take the hardest option—might determine the choice of a project. Maker spaces are ideal for fostering independent learning, and librarians can be influential in the trajectory.
  1. They spark the brain boost that comes from using one’s hands. Research by psychologists Robert and Michele Root Bernstein indicates that tinkerers are thinkers. Arts and crafts—aka, making—develop such skills as observing, visual thinking, and pattern recognition. They develop habits that include practicing, persevering, and trial-and-error problem solving. The common denominator among many noted scientists, including Einstein, is that hand-based hobbies figured significantly into their personal histories. Making and tinkering expand intellect because a disproportionally large part of the brain’s somatosensory cortex is connected to the hands. Studies show that kids who take notes by hand absorb the lecture material in a deeper way. As philosopher Anaxagoras said, “The hand is the window to the mind.”
  1. They improve people’s moods. Studies by neuroscientist Dr. Kelly Lambert, author of Lifting Depression and blogger, show that meaningful hand use elevates mood. Happiness expert and psychologist Dr. Sonja Lyubormirsky said, Find me a happy person and I will find you a project.” There are many options for purposeful hand use. If your library does not have gardens, sewing machines, or a supply of paint, you can suggest and guide home projects. Knowing the mind and inclinations of your seeker, as my librarian of long-ago, Mrs. Rudd, did, helps you help them.
  1. They offer them a sense of community. Nearly a third of the population suffers from a sense of loneliness, according to The Foundation for Art and Healing. Deep connections to others are the single greatest source of the “good life,” according to a recent TED Talk by Harvard psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, based on a decades-long study. For many people, a community library can offer so much, from casual conversation to shared purpose. Just showing up can be psychologically healing. One might sew quilts, make sculptures, weave rugs, or participate in another activity, as an individual or as part of a group. Having retired folks teach younger people hand-based skills such as carpentry, crafting, or cooking is a win-win.
  1. They break the habit of wastefulness. One of the perks of making is that by repurposing what’s readily available, we conjure a sense of resourcefulness, creativity, and empowerment. My father-in-law once said, “I love to take some old broken thing and see what I can do with it.” Combining old elements to bring something new into being is psychologist Rollo May’s definition of creativity. Patrons can bring in broken objects, material fragments, abandoned toys, etc. One person’s junk is another’s treasure, after all.”

Stephen

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Posted on: September 13, 2016, 6:33 am Category: Uncategorized

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