The World of Art…the importance of creativity in a child’s life

Watercolor on watercolor paper
2012

Recently while teaching art to one of my students, I reflected on the importance of creativity in a child’s life. 

What purpose does art serve in the life of the child: creating, exploring different media and learning about how to use art tools. Can that spark be kept alive throughout life?

As I watched my student be excited about the possibilities of creating her ideas, it made me feel proud to be part of the development of her life.

While many traditionalist art teachers will say children must learn perspective, color mixing, shading, who famous artists are, I say children should learn to enjoy the process of creating. They should learn how to use a plethora of media so that they can express their own ideas. It is important for them to understand technique with different media so they can learn how to manipulate it to create their ideas.

 It is important to introduce children to artists and different genres of art but each child should discover their own voice.

Often when I teach classes and I give free drawing time, time to doodle, relax the brain and some children have a hard time with that, asking me to tell them what to draw.  Their heads are so filled with memorizing numbers and formulas and spelling words.

Creativity is a gift we all have in some form.  It should be nurtured from an early age.

Our imaginations are free.  We can think, create, and interpret anything and all that we see around us.  Witness, the whole touch screen computer thing, and current technology.  It came from someone’s imagination, someone willing to explore, create and solve problems and suffer some failure.

Art is a creative conduit to solving problems, creating interesting new ways of connecting materials.  Children and adults should have this outlet, always. 

It makes me happy to see children expressing their point of view, and using the lessons that I have taught them.

One thing I have noticed, children like to get their hands busy, they don’t like it when I talk too much, they want to get on with the act of creating and exploring the media.

When I look at my students, I am often curious: what does their future hold?  Each one of them has the potential and possibility to do, be and create and make a meaningful contribution to the world.