Why do we have warm ups? What is a “warm up” anyway? These are questions that on my part I just took for granted until recently. Drawing class, dance class, writing class, music class, theatre (and this list goes on), I always had a warm up exercise of some sort.

A little clarification for young readers. Warm up doesn’t always mean to be physically warm. Warming up when using your body does actually make your body warmer. A warm up for your mind doesn’t actually create heat but it does get that mental fire burning brighter.

In a drawing class we take about 10 minutes or so to do some kind of quick draw, or practice using a new technique we’d been learning previously. For music class we sing scales and simple sounds to get our vocal cords prepared, or play scales on our instrument. A warm up can save you from injury in a physical activity. Mentally (and that includes physical stuff, because they take thinking too), warm ups are a signal to get you ready to work/create.

We were watching a movie about dancing and one of my kids asked how all the children in the ballet class knew what to do when the teacher just said, “Go warm up for 20 minutes.” In ballet class there is a part that we call “Barre”. With some exceptions, ballet class will always start with barre exercises. These movements are done in a specific order and are the foundation of ballet. A ballet student will learn this early on so when told to warm up they know pretty much what to do.

An artist learns the basic skills of their trade and then we keep practicing them. Add harder things in with time and feel free to get fancy. The reason for a warm up is to get stronger, protect yourself from injury, and build a new habit.

Artists teach their body and mind to follow a well worn road, as they start. From there there are no limits. A wonderful quote used when teaching little kiddos to read I think applies well here, “Good readers re-read!” Great artists also repeat-repeat. Start making grooves and teaching yourself how get your engine going. Who knows where it can take you? Be creative and keep shining!