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From Blake, Byron, Keats, the Shelleys, and other English Romantic writers to Goethe and the Sturm und Drang artists in Germany to Pushkin in Russia, Romanticism defined European literature and art for decades. It also changed the way in which we view artists and artistic people. 

There’s a reason why an artist like Shakespeare is called a “playwright” and not a “playwrite.” A “wright” is another term for a craftsman, and that’s how theatre was viewed in Shakespeare’s day – as a craft. The Romantics popularized our image of the artist and artistic types today as being soulful, brooding nature-loving geniuses. We sometimes extend that to assume that artistic types must be anti-technology – after all, it’s Mary Shelley we have to thank for the original cautionary tech-run-amok tale, Frankenstein.

But is that really accurate? Plenty of children who love art and writing enjoy and benefit from technology, too, especially in an educational setting.

Art Tools

It is no secret that there is a great demand for graphic artists in the workplace today, which is great news for students who are artistically inclined and able to use the tech tools necessary to make it in the industry. In addition to traditional graphic design and editing software, you can also expose your students to apps such as Airflow, which empowers young artists to play around with painting tools in a digital setting.

Writing Tools

We’ve come a long way since the likes of Keats popularized the idea of the artist being a lone, brooding figure. Nevertheless, plenty of kids follow that model, which is why it’s important for aspiring young writers to have the tools they need to make their early writing experiences positive ones. While there’s no substitute for good old-fashioned books and writing practice, giving students access to basic online writing tools like a WordPress account can help them get acquainted with an Internet-savvy way of writing.

Music Tools

If Goethe was the voice of German Romanticism, Beethoven was its soundtrack. Music apps such as Real Piano and Note Perfect can be a great way to introduce students to music in an affordable, tech-friendly way.

A new era in how we make and view art is dawning, and education-friendly tech for Arts and Humanities students is helping to push that change.