Kids in the Studio

If you are a creative person and you have children of your own or children that are around you often, you need to bring them in your studio. Its ok if your studio is your kitchen table, bring them there. Kids are naturally creative, and through the course of education it is easy for those same imaginative kids to get caught up in the idea of a right or wrong answer. I see it in fourth grade, with my art students. Fourth grade is the time when kids are afraid to do art because they might do it wrong. Art education is so important to the development of a child, if only to simply form their imagination.

Imagination is problem solving. Problem solving, the ability to think "out side the box", and decision making skills are three of the most valued skills in the work place. ANY work place. Think of the most successful person you know. What skills do they possess that makes them successful. I am willing to bet that being creative has something to do with it. So why do we undervalue creativity in education?

That is a big and unanswerable question for another time. My point is that it is up to you to instill creativity and problem solving in your child. That means from a young age, you should give them the opportunity to create and problem solve.

Mathew and I have been slowing turing my laundry room into a studio. To brighten up the space (and for storage) we hung up some of my old (and very old) art work. When he came to the realization I was not going to let him use my real hammer, he quickly went and got his own play hammer. It worked surprisingly well, problem solved.

Go create and explore together.