Encouraging What's Creative

There are many ways to encouraging your child’s inner artist.  Here are a few simple tips to show them you value their creativity and artistic efforts.

-Recognize that there’s more to art than just a painting. Some kids draw, others paint, some use legos

-When complementing your child’s little masterpieces, be sure to touch on your favorite part of the piece. You can comment on subject matter or the technique they used. Even simple things like “I love the color you chose for the flower” or “I can tell you worked extra hard to build that tower” show them that you are not only looking at what they’ve created but you’re really seeing the details of their work.

-Framing and displaying your children’s artwork is a great way to make them feel proud of their work. Decorating the fridge is great. But consider nicely framing a piece or two. If the piece is small, you can mat it in a larger frame to make it more substantial. When friends and family visit and they see the art displayed, their comments and praise will also make your child feel special.

-Hire them to make something “on consignment”. Request one of your favorite subject matters and/or mediums for them to work on. My daughter used to love to draw fruit. One day I pulled out a big piece of artist’s a paper and some oil pastels and asked her to draw 3 big pears. To this day, that picture still hangs, matted and framed in my dining room.

-Encourage your older child to enter their work in contests and/or exhibits. There are many of these to be found if you look for them. And many of the “contests” for kids are all-inclusive and acknowledge everyone who participates as to not exclude anyone. My daughter recently entered her pottery in a “show” at our local fair. It’s been wonderful seeing her beam with pride as her work is displayed for all to see. Being seen and recognized by “the public” gives a child an entirely different experience and sense of accomplishment.

-Observe your child’s creative tendencies and nurture those that they enjoy. Some kids have a flair for watercolors. If that’s the case, be sure to offer plenty of watercolor paper for them to paint on. It might be more expensive but it’s much nicer to work on than just plain craft paper (and it’s usually archival) and it just might help them improve their skills.

-Keep an open mind. Encouraging a child’s creative can mean different things for different families. Consider this list of artistic outlets to explore with your kids; painting, sculpting, building, designing, writing, photography, cooking, sewing, etc. Don’t be afraid of trying something new. You never know what your child might enjoy doing if you don’t help them dabble a little.

-Have fun. The idea is that the kids enjoy what they’re doing and feel good in the process of creating as well as being happy and empowered by the end result.