As a work from home designer and mother of two young children I recently began thinking about my return to full time work at a creative office doing what I love. I always knew I wanted to stay home with my kids when they were young like my mother did, but it sure did pinch our pockets and I actually missed working (it’s easy to say that now, I know). Some more grown-up interaction wouldn’t hurt either. However, as I tried to keep my graphic design skills up at home I continued to find artistic inspiration in an unlikely source: my kids.
Now some readers are going to say, “Duh! Kids have lots of energy and imagination and are brimming with creativity.” Yet I was the one who went to art school, worked in the creative field for ten years, and am geek enough to read and write about this stuff daily. Being fresh and creative should be a snap! Well as every designer knows we all get a little artistic block every now and then. If you are home with your kids and cooped up in the house it might be even harder to see past that family bubble to the outside world. Fear not! The answer is staring at you from that 3 foot little person probably asking for a snack right now.
Firstly, there are a few things I feel I taught my kids to encourage their creativity, and there are a few things that I learned from them in return.
What you can do for your kids:
- Production needs space: I’m not sure where the idea came from but we had this roll of paper that we would cover our coffee table with and tape it down. There is nothing more enticing to a kid than a blank, clean space. For example, how many times have you made your bed only to have your kids run and jump on that smooth, perfect surface? We put out crayons and let them go to town. The big space gave them less restrictions from borders and there was room for all to participate. They would leave and come back and the project would grow over time.
- Be abstract: I made a point to never ask the kids what they were drawing so that they never felt pressured to try to draw something and get frustrated when it didn’t look the way they wanted it to. Always keep comments positive and never worry about drawing inside the lines or making things the right color. I would say, “Wow, I like this line/shape here” or “It’s cool how you made this side with zigzags and this side with curves” and my favorite “I like those colors you chose, they look good together.”
- Doodles are important (and fun!): When I sat down and drew with my kids it was the best experience for all of us! Their favorite activity was letting me doodle first and then finishing (or “improving”) my design. They also loved it when I drew an object and they could color it in or add to it. This made me draw things I never would have on my own such as magic objects, strange animals and monsters, border patterns, flying vehicles, and much more. We even made stories about our drawings which was super for developing their imaginations and communication skills.
- Dream big: Something I wish I had known early on was to use the whole canvas when you create. So when my kids would show me their pictures I would praise their work and tell them I wanted to see more. It made them think beyond their limits and in no time at all they could produce art faster.
What your kids can do for you:
- Lots and lots and lots of colors: Kids love lots of colors. It’s why rainbows are so popular in young children’s art. Luckily the monochromatic trend seems to be winding down and the art world is moving back to more complex color themes. And speaking of color combinations, your kids will choose colors that you never would have thought to put together. They will love giving you their opinions on what colors to use. Start with more colors than you planned and then you can dwindle them down to the colors you need for your project.
- Draw with reckless abandon: With your positive encouragement your kids will be more confident in their decisions, and that goes for their art-making as well. When they draw something they make a decision and stick with it, or run with it to make it work. As we get older we put too much thought into our creations and worry more about being perfect. When you were young, if you made a mistake, you just started again or found a way to fix it. There is always plenty of scrap paper to use for many version of an idea. Don’t sweat the details. Just create! and create a lot.
- Draw your feelings: Sometimes kids can’t communicate well yet, but children’s art can say volumes about how they’re feeling and what’s going on in their lives. Art therapy is very effective. So next time, instead of drawing “something” try putting your feelings into it. Think about how this piece of art is suppose to make a viewer feel. What colors would you associate with the topic? Kids love to caption facial expressions. They also love to draw what they like, and you should too.
- Art should be fun!: Remember, you are doing what you love. Mix it up and have fun exploring new art with your children. Finger paints, water colors, melted crayons, potato stamps, washi tape, build cardboard cities…the list goes on. As long as you do something fun and different (messy helps too) you will be boosting your creativity and bonding with your children. A win-win opportunity!
So, don’t delay- make art today with your kids. Let us know your best kid projects and what about them inspired you.
Thanks for reading!
Another good article from PBS about making art with your children: Click here