The GlueStick ABCDEs: Art, Building, Craft, Design, and Engineering with kids

When you hear the word “Art,” what comes to mind? For many, the word invokes images of a beautiful painting, an elegant sculpture, or a daring exhibit at the local modern art museum. How does that compare to what you think of when you hear the word “Craft?” Centuries ago, the Western world began segmenting “Art” from the work of “Craft,” typically emphasizing “art’s” emotional impact as distinct from “crafts” utilitarianism. When you add “Building”, “Design”, and “Engineering” into the mix, the definitions become even murkier. How often have you walked into a building and been awestruck by the architecture or soothed by an inviting interior design? Building, architecture, and design are equally utilitarian and beautiful, filled with the work of both “artists” and “craftspeople” alike. Behind the scenes, no great building would be possible without the work of steadfast engineers, calculating exactly how to make the creative vision of others a reality. Where do their analytical and technical skills fall on the spectrum of creative expression? I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I do know that how we talk about them influences our kids. 

How do we explain the concepts of art, building, craft, design and engineering to our children? 

As a parent and the founder of GlueStick, I struggle with this question daily. How do I build a business that encourages creative problem solving, experimentation, skill development, and self-expression while helping families pass down valued traditions? GlueStick’s mission encompasses helping children appreciate the meaning of art, the complexity of building, the skill of craft, the experimental nature of design, and the problem solving of engineering. How can we do that when I as a founder can’t concretely define any one of them? 

My daughter’s simple collage of paper and glue evokes far stronger emotions and means much more to me than any work by Da Vinci or Monet. Is her work art or craft?

I have fond memories of my own mother teaching me to knot hemp necklaces. Most people would consider these simple projects craft, but they allowed me to express myself creatively as a preteen desperate to fit in with the cool crowd. I created one for every mood. They were my art.

Our family has a tradition of building sets together for key holidays. Lego are fantastic tools for teaching spatial problem solving and many engineering concepts, but for us, the tradition around it elevates a simple building project into something more. Making shelves to display our ever growing collection is a building and design challenge of its own. 

Whether it’s a paper collage, a hemp necklace, or a Lego set, novice crafters take instructions from a mentor, follow them diligently to learn basic skills, then find the confidence to throw away the instructions and forge their own creations. These experiences are critically important to kids. Creating something from scratch builds self-esteem, teaches the value of trial and error, of hard work, patience, diligence, and attention to detail. The things we make as kids make us the adults we grow to be. That’s why the language around how and what we encourage kids to make matters. We as parents and caregivers have a responsibility to teach kids that they can make beautiful, functional, important things. That what they make matters because the tiny humans that made it matter to us. When kids grow up believing the things they make matter, they grow up to make things that change the world.

A Complicated History

It would be easy to dismiss these musings as frivolous and say the words we use to describe these projects and processes are just semantics. As a company, GlueStick could use arts and crafts interchangeably, sprinkle in some references to engineering and STEM for the SEO boost, and call it a day. However, as a founder I cannot ignore the gendered and colonial history of these terms. For generations, the crafts of sewing, knitting, needlepoint, pottery, and more have been dismissed as “women’s work” our craftsmanship and skill undermined, deemed unworthy of the kind of praise garnered by more male-dominated “artistic” pursuits of painting and architecture. These gender-based stereotypes persist today. In a recent user interview with the father of a 4-year-old son, the father described himself as “not really a crafter. I prefer to build.” When asked what’s the difference, he struggled to clarify the statement. As a mom, engineer, entrepreneur, and DIY enthusiast, I strongly posit there isn’t one. 

On a trip last weekend to my local library I came home with two books. The Artful Parent by Jean Van’t Hul features a mom engaged with two children, both girls, on the cover. The projects would all fit a western standard definition of “pretty”, emphasizing decorative objects while the text of the book encourages the kinds of conversations that propel those decorative pursuits into the realm of art. The second book, Made with Dad by Chris Barnardo, focuses on much more utilitarian and play based projects. The message is clear — Dad builds fun stuff with tools; Mom makes stuff that looks pretty. While both books have exceptions to this generalization (and are wonderful and highly recommended), they ultimately follow Western societal norms around expected gender expression. Men and boys are underrepresented in books about how to create beautiful things. Projects geared toward girls rarely require drills and saws. And yet, today’s inclusive world knows that men are just as capable of creating and appreciating beautiful things as women are of using power tools. As a founder, I want to make sure that GlueStick does not contribute to these gender stereotypes. Art, building, craft, design, and engineering are for everyone.

Similarly, Western thought has long held that art from other cultures like a fine vase from the Ming Dynasty or a Native American Totem Pole is “primitive” because the cultures that created them valued mastery of skill and adherence to tradition over creative expression. This definition of art vs craft was used to justify white supremacy and suppress cultural expression. It’s hardly a legacy any of us should aspire to perpetuate. Learning about diverse cultural creative expression is an area of personal growth for me as a founder and one that I look forward to exploring as I continue to build GlueStick. I’m especially keen to hear how we can expand our project library to include more perspectives and traditions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your suggestions.

GlueStick’s Mission and Values

And so, with all of this nuance and history tangled up in the language of making, GlueStick has decided that we are not an app that encourages “arts and crafts,” nor are we focused on “building, engineering and design” or “STEAM” projects. Instead, GlueStick fosters confidence and connection by helping families build creative time into their routines and teaching kids the skills they need to pursue their creative passions.

GlueStick is committed to a set of corporate values that prioritizes inclusivity and celebrates the contributions of all cultures to creative disciplines. Whenever we talk about our application and the service we provide, we will do so in ways that reflect GlueStick’s core beliefs and ways of working.

• All people, especially children, are inherently creative and curious. Foster the spark.

• The world needs creative solutions. Encourage innovative ideas. 

• The most important thing we can give each other is our time. Make every moment count.

• Technology can make creative opportunities more accessible. Reach everyone.

• Learning happens through experimentation and failure. Fail fast and keep trying.

• Creating things with caregivers strengthens family bonds. Make Memories Together. 

We won’t always get it right. We’re still iterating on our mission statement and values just like a graphic designer iterates on the perfect web design. We’re committed to learning how to respond to bigotry and bias the way our engineers or a master craftsperson hones their skills. We’re going to continue to express our values and mission with the creative flair of an artist. 

We hope we inspire you and your family in the process. 

If you love what we’re up to, check out our website, GlueStick.app, and sign up for our beta list. We’re building something really exciting and would love for you to be a part of it.