Encouraging the Artist in Kids

CEBU, Philippines - If you had read the adventures of the boy in the illustrated children's book "The Little Prince," you would agree that many children can relate to the character's first and second drawings as told in the first chapter of the book.

Inspired by a picture set in a primeval forest, the six-year-old character attempted to draw a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an elephant. With the magic of his colored pencils, the boy finished his first artwork. But he thought that adults might get frightened upon seeing it.

And he did show it to grown-ups, who saw it as a - hat! Obviously, the adults did not understand what the boy drew. The boy made another drawing, this time emphasizing the inside of the boa constrictor. The grown-ups, however, advised him to lay aside his drawings and focus on other things instead.        

Most of us are like the grown-ups in the story. Most of us fail to understand the curious and creative mind of our kids. We have huge expectations of them. We feel that they can do better in a lot of things. We expect them to achieve feats that are beyond their age, capabilities, and limitations.

As you watch your children smile after their successful attempts at creating their little masterpieces, you must see that there is more to a day's art class. You must understand their reasons to why they colored the trees red or painted the skies white, and so on. You must appreciate the "great" effort, even if the work was not on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. - Dolores Aboitiz Children's Fund (RAFI-DACF), which champions early child care and development, reminds adults that there is no "right" or "wrong" artwork. Right or wrong only applies to the use of tools and materials, not to the artwork or its subject matter itself. 

In the interest of creating art opportunities for kids, the RAFI-DACG recommends that parents and teachers do the following:

Focus on the process, not on the output.

Perfection should never be the goal in the making of a child's masterpiece. It is in the process and in the learning the child gets, not the output, that makes art so much fun and exciting for them. For their part, adults should try to see the uniqueness and creativity in each child's works.

What they think about their artwork is more important than what you or I think. Think of it as a spontaneous activity that encourages your little ones to "think outside the box." It allows them to be "in charge" of what they are doing.

Never try to impose adult standards on your kids' work. Permit your children to be young adults of their own - with no expectations and no rules set.

Ask, "How did you do this?" Talk about what you notice in the drawing. "How did you blend those colors?" Create a conversation that opens door for them to relay to you what they have learned and how they did the work.

Don't over-praise.

If you ramble on how brilliant or beautiful his artwork is, your kid will eventually stop valuing your praises and may doubt that anything he does is actually praiseworthy. Instead of raving, parents should offer meaningful comments that relate to the actual piece of art.

"You seemed to be having fun." "This work took a lot of hard work." "I really like how you use red instead of green."

Focus your praise on the work accomplished, not on your kids' innate brilliance. When you praise them with so much greatness, the tendency is you are obliged to do it in the future.

Kids who are rewarded with praises appropriate for what they have accomplished continue to strive to become better.

See the creativity.

"What a great idea to paint the dog with pink!" The imagination of a kid is limitless and boundless. Sometimes they think that pigs have wings or ants can jump. Do not stop them from exploring new ideas. Remember, we also went through the same process when we were once their age.

Ask the kids what they think of their works. Do not let the conservation be about your comments and judgment. Invite them to evaluate their own work. Start with, "What is your favorite part of your artwork? Was it hard to draw the pig? What line pattern did you use?"

Ask open-ended questions when talking to kids about their art. These kinds of questions allow them to respond with thoughts, not just simply yes or no.

Provide more artful opportunities.

Take them to an art museum or stop by a gallery you pass on the street. Buy them more art books to develop their creative thinking. There are several online resources you can get from the Internet, too.

Ask your child what he has to say about these sources. When you are looking at a painting, ask him what makes the work beautiful. This is a great start to understand what your little boy thinks and sees. You can also take your kids to art classes, especially during summer.

Practicing art, as a child or as an adult, is a joyous activity that awakens creativity. Art provides a wonderful opportunity for children to describe things. Their portrait of a horse or a puppy has meaning deeper than what adult eyes see.

Help your child develop his innate creativity. You never know, he might be the next Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci!

(Source: http://www.bigblackpig.com/howtotalk.html) (FREEMAN)