By iQuriousKids
Have you wondered whether your kid has hidden artistic talent and how you could channel it? In this post, you will see how art helps a child’s development and also how you can nurture his creative instincts.
All kids love to scribble on walls. The moment they get their hands on a crayon, they unleash themselves on the nearest wall, even before they learn to use paper.
Many a nursery and kindergarten is filled with doodles, scribbles, scrawls – typically letters, flowers, doll figures, robots, houses, landscapes, and rainbows. It is a representation of the simple, intuitive inner world that they possess.
All great painters have known the value of going back to being childlike.
Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain one when we grow up.”
Matisse even tried to learn from the art that his children created.
More than just scribbles?
As parents, we praise our kids’ artistic attempts, because we find them charming, and they represent a lost innocence and unique way of looking at the world around. Is there more to it than just a set of scribbles? Is there a seed of talent in there, or genius even?
Well, most of the time, you will be disappointed to know that the scribbles are just that – some random scribbles. Very, very few childish doodles are destined to be art pieces.
Don’t let that dishearten you. Even if it amounts to nothing, art is one of the best ways you could let your child express themselves. The mere process of creating art is enjoyable for kids and benefits them mentally and emotionally. It may not be profound art, but they are really enjoying the sensation of smearing paint with a brush, stamping their fingerprints, the scratch of a pencil on paper or the squeeze of play dough as they make a pie out of it. This is especially true for toddlers who have no fixed aim when they play with art materials.
Fostering art will have myriad benefits on your child’s development. A little child could be learning fine motor control when she is trying to draw a shape. She could be learning to count various colors. Most of all they feel and good and enjoy the process of making something out of nothing, they learn to experiment and express – all things which aid their development into confident, creative and innovative adults.
Here are some tips that early education experts recommend for fostering art in your kids.
Keep it Varied
Don’t limit art supplies to chalk and crayons; be sure to stock a variety of materials for self-expression. Clay, chalk, sponges, stamps, ink, feathers, buttons, dried leaves, ribbons, stones and glitter all make interesting materials. Let them make patterns and objects with these. Teach them to make prints with cross cut vegetables and fingerprints.
Boost Creativity
Don’t be freaked out with a mess, encourage it.
Be very tolerant of artistic messes, else your kid will never freely explore and create. Kids prefer to scribble standing upright. If you don’t want messy walls, the easiest way is to paint all lower sections of walls with chalkboard paint and create a wide canvas and free hand. Let them just wipe away and start afresh. This will also give them a feeling of freedom of being able to use walls at will. You could also tape large sheets of paper to the wall. Let them scribble and dabble to their hearts content.
Give Them a Free Hand
Remember, you are an enabler and art is not a class of reading, writing, or arithmetic. Don’t tell them what to do, for example, “Oh shouldn’t a rose be red?” Don’t apply your logic to their expression. Let them play.
Don’t Do t Yourself
It may not look much like an apple or flower or animal to you, but resist the urge to guide or interfere or do it yourself. Just be supportive of whatever they do.
Don’t Try to Correct
If a child has created something, do not suggest corrections and additions. A feeling of accomplishment will be lost. Your job is to make them love the act of drawing, not to teach them to draw. There are skilled experts for that.
Prod and Nudge the Creative Process
Don’t be generic in your praise and feedback. Rather than giving a pat on the back, sit and discuss their art. Ask them what they meant to draw and why. Ask them why they used a particular color or way of representation.
Get Expert Help
You are not capable of evaluating a child’s art if you stopped your art class at the 4th grade and never touched a brush. Get to a good artist or an art school to get your child’s potential evaluated. To find some interesting art camps, look up a list at the iQurious site. For painting camps, see https://www.iquriouskids.com/kids-activities/all-locations/arts-painting-20160403242458602273.
The first and most useful thing you could do, if you feel your child has some real talent in this direction, is to take them to a museum frequently. Let them absorb what real art is, and see if it channels their creative instincts.
Additional “Do not Do’s”
Getting art software is not recommended. Don’t let skill trump inspiration. Let them formulate their creative process in their minds before you hand over automated tools.
Growth in artistic talent is not measurable in the same terms as an SAT score or grade report. Don’t turn it into an academic race. Don’t compare them with peers. Let them acquire the skills of drawing and then use the skills to express their talent; however, know that this is not a quantifiable trait. Give your child a chance to channel his or her inner Picasso and sign up for an art camp today.
Tell us about your favorite artist in the comments below.