Art doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, imperfect can be perfect in the art world. That’s the message Macy Borger wants kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County to embrace.
The new art coordinator at the Elkhart Clubhouse has a passion for helping members express themselves through their projects.
“I think that art is a great way to express yourself and feelings that you can’t always put into words. It’s therapeutic in a way. I think kids these days need something to put their energy into that is positive,” she said.
Borger studied visual arts in college with hopes of becoming an art and music therapist. When covid hit, she worked as a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom, then at a middle school working with kids who had special needs.
After moving to Indiana, she found the Elkhart Club and is loving the adventure with the kids.
“In a school, there is a curriculum to follow, so I can’t always be as creative as I would like. You can’t always create a bond with the kids because there are so many other things to do,” Borger said.
She likes to see the members excited when the walk into her program space.
“It makes me happy to know I am around kids who want to be there and want to learn and do things,” she said.
Each day, she tries to build lessons off the national holiday calendar.
“One day we had ‘land day’ so we went outside and painted with the mud. On ‘daffodil day,’ we made origami flowers. It really helps give me ideas,” Borger said.
She tries to instill the “imperfect is perfect” theory by example.
“I show them examples of things that may have not worked out the way I wanted them to, but still looked great. It motivates them to keep going and keep trying. They enjoy making mistakes now,” she said. “If they make a mistake, I help them add on to it so they end up making more than they thought they were going to.”
Through the shared creativity, Borger hopes the members feel a connection with her and she can inspire them to reach higher.
“I want them to have a positive experience here. In the real world they may not get that, so I want them to feel like it’s a safe space and I’m someone they can come to whenever they have a need.”