Nurturing a Child's Creativity
Recently a friend asked me for some tips to help guide her son in his artwork. As I was working on that, I thought it would be a great blog post to share with you. My mother, Gabi, is also an artist and graphic designer, she mentored and nurtured me in many ways creatively that I am so thankful for today. Below are are ten tips from my mom to guide you as you are nurturing a little artist of your own.
colorful surrondings
Before Holly was born I read in a trade journal a study about creative people. It suggested that surrounding your infant baby with bright primary colors would heighten creativity. Hence, I created Holly’s nursery and bedding in bright red, yellow, blue and green!
Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship is #1 in art and design! The most wonderful ideas executed poorly aren’t well received or of any value.
drawing on the right side of the brain
A valuable resource book for any budding artist is “Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain”, by Betty Edwards. Don’t skip drawing the upside down man... he’s key to learning to train your eyes and mind to knowing how to put down on paper what you see.
draw daily
Draw EVERY day!!! Practice makes perfect!
materials
Provide a good variety and quality artistic mediums. An environment to create without any restrictions is helpful. Please make extra note that colored pencils should be soft. Check out Holly’s Amazon shopping list for recommendations on supplies. If you are local in Birmingham please visit Alabama Art Supply (ask for Cile). Art supplies can be expensive, so keep them in mind when making birthday and Christmas lists for your kids to share with family.
NO coloring books
Let children form their own ideas on the way something looks. The old masters didn’t use them. Sketchbooks are a great alternative.
make a mark
One of the most difficult things about art is that first mark on the paper. Hopefully, by starting your little ones early to create freely, they will overcome or never experience this fear.
PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!
Constructive criticism only! I had a college professor that made an unnecessary negative comment about some of my drawings that I still battle today.
bonding time
It’s good to encourage your children to create on their own, but it can also be a valuable time to bond and learn by doing some projects together.
framing
Frame your favorite pieces that your child creates. It will give them confidence that you value and cherish their artwork, even more than just hanging it on the refrigerator. The colorful fish oil pastel in the picture at the top of the post was created by Holly when she was seven. It hung in the entryway of our home and now hangs in Holly’s home. Framebridge is a great source for framing.
