Free Art Curriculum by Jen Goya
CREATIVE GOALS
Students will:
01. Use Art as Communication
Explore how visual imagery and limited text can communicate complex emotions or ideas.
02. Develop Symbolic Thinking
Use metaphor, symbolism, and visual storytelling to express meaning indirectly.
03. Practice Honest Art-Making
Engage in reflective art-making that values authenticity while maintaining personal boundaries.
04. Work Within a Conceptual Framework
Create artwork that follows specific constraints inspired by an existing community art project.
05. Build Empathy and Community
Recognize how anonymous art can foster connection, understanding, and shared human experience.
CONTENT GUIDELINES & DISCLAIMER
- Students should never feel pressured to reveal deeply personal, traumatic, or unsafe information.
- Secrets may be personal, light, symbolic, or abstracted.
- Students may fictionalize or generalize details while maintaining emotional truth.
- All shared work will remain anonymous.
The goal is expression and connection, not exposure.
MATERIALS & MEDIA
Required:
- Art journal or postcard-sized paper
- Pen, marker, or pencil
Optional Media:
- Paint or colored pencils
- Magazine images or printed text
- Collage materials
- Digital design or drawing tools
ROUTINE & EXPECTATIONS
- Students complete a minimum of one postcard per week.
- Additional entries are encouraged.
- Journal time may be used for planning, creating, or reflecting.
- Sharing is optional and anonymous.
Suggested minimum: 4 completed postcards.
REFLECTION
After each postcard, students respond privately:
- Why did you choose this idea?
- How did imagery help communicate meaning?
- How did it feel to express something anonymously?
Reflections remain private unless the student chooses to share.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment is process-based and participation-focused.
Students are evaluated on:
- Completion of required postcards
- Thoughtful integration of text and imagery
- Engagement with the prompt
- Respectful participation in anonymous sharing (if applicable)
Content is not graded on emotional depth or personal disclosure.
DIFFERENTIATION & ACCESSIBILITY
- Students may submit symbolic or fictionalized secrets
- Text-free or image-heavy options are allowed
- Digital postcard creation is permitted
- Students may opt out of sharing while still completing the artwork
- Teacher may provide alternative prompts if needed
TEACHER NOTES
- Introduce this unit with care and clear boundaries.
Disclaimer: The Post Secret Project website features new submissions and much of the content is mature and triggering. I do not recommend having students research examples independently. Curate examples carefully or create your own sample before hand. Screening the Post Secret Project Founder and Curator, Frank Warren, TedTalk is an alternative resource.
- Reinforce that students control how much they share.
- Monitor anonymous boards to ensure respectful engagement.
- Avoid public critique of content; focus feedback on design and process.
- This unit works well early in the year to build trust and honesty.