DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET 22     Part 1 (Maslow 1987, 25). Maslow (1971) is a proponent of education that fosters individuals who are creative, inventive, courageous, and independent, and he sees art education as a way to develop those characteristics. He writes, “If we hope for our children that they will become full human beings, and that they will move toward actualizing the potentialities that they have, then, as nearly as I can make out, the only kind of education in existence today that has any faint inkling of such goals is art education” (Maslow 1971, 55). In fact, he proposes that the concepts of creativeness and a self-actu- alizing person were much the same thing (Maslow 1971). Maslow believes humans need to think divergently in order to live in a constantly changing world, and art education is a means to develop critical-thinking skills. He emphasizes the importance in creative work of process over a final product. Maslow provides early childhood teachers with a framework that builds on meeting children’s needs to help them gain self-actualization. As ECE professors, we want to validate his work and introduce his contribution of creativity development. Maslow’s work supports the creative process as an essential component in gaining self-actualization. We value creativity as another important developmental domain that has to be nurtured and supported. We want teachers of young children to find their own creativity and to create environments that offer hope and respect for every member of the community. My Body Is a Canvas Advancing Creativity Colter enjoys art and finds opportunities to engage in using a variety of materials and media to create his “masterpieces.” He seems most interested in the movement of the tools he uses and the sensory aspect of feel- ing various textures as he experiments by painting with his hands and feet. His delight is evident in his smiles and laughter as he makes short, thick, sweep- ing brushstrokes on cardboard and random scribbles with markers on easel paper. He works on little and large canvases, from a small piece of paper to a large piece of cardboard placed against the fence. Lately Colter has discovered a new canvas: his own body! The blue paint is spread all around his mouth as if he is putting on lipstick. The teachers enjoy watching COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL