Industrial art classes are designed to teach students how to work with materials to produce a finished product, but they are not necessarily designed to teach them to be creative. Many of the students begin with simple projects, and their goal is to learn how to handle tools and work with a specific material. Shop classes concentrate on teaching students the fundamentals of craftsmanship, and only a few students will create their own original designs. Successful completion of a project allows the student to graduate to more complex designs and materials, and this is the goal that is set.
Many students will take several shop classes before they leave school, and some of them will choose careers that use the skills they have learned. They will become tradesmen in various disciplines, and their education will serve them well. A few of the students may go on to explore their creative side as soon as they leave school, but others will discover this in later years.
Becoming an artist is a journey of exploration, and it is important to allow students the opportunity to express their abilities. Not all students will exhibit creative talent, and there is no shame in simply completing industrial arts projects as part of their schooling. They can continue on in life and make a good living with the skills they have learned.
Students who progress rapidly through these types of classes will often become bored with building projects designed by others, and these are the students with the aptitude to be artists. They prefer to create original designs, and these classes give them a chance to explore their own imagination in a way that uses the available tools and materials. Becoming an artist is a choice as well as an aptitude, and some will go on to successful careers in the arts.
