How to Encourage Creativity in Children

Many artists relish the act of making art because it is reminiscent of the creative freedom they had as children, when they were unburdened by artistic “rules” or the opinions of others. Children are naturally creative, eager to explore the world around them and express what they discover in their own unique way.

Over time, however, the creativity of children often becomes stifled for a number of reasons. In this blog post we’ll examine ways to foster a healthy sense of creativity in children, whether at home or in the classroom. By encouraging children to explore and develop their innate creative abilities, we can nurture them towards a more well-rounded way of experiencing the world.

• Start by setting aside a time and space for making art. Art supplies for children are inexpensive because children can find ways to express themselves by using almost anything. Supply your child with things like crayons, markers, poster paint, construction paper, and clay.
• Instead of spending their free time in front of the TV or playing video games, encourage your children to paint, draw, or sculpt instead. These artistic activities will engage their minds and enhance their problem-solving skills.
• If children start to worry that their art is not “good enough”, refocus their attention on the fun of the creative process. Art should not be about making the “best” painting. Making art should be enjoyed for the artistic process rather than the final product.
• Allow your children to take their time when they make art and work at their own pace. This also helps to emphasize that the value of making art is in the process itself, rather than the end result.
• To encourage the most creative freedom in your kids, teach them that there is no right or wrong when it comes to art – there is only individual expression. When you appreciate a child’s creations for its unique qualities, you validate the child’s point of view and increase his or her confidence.
• Remember the words of Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka:

  “All children are inspired artists… every human being is endowed with genius at birth… the only question is why most of them lose this gift, or why it is withdrawn from them.”

Mark Feldman is President of SegTech, a company devoted to a wonderful Image Segmentation technology called Segmation. Segmation – The Art of Pieceful Imaging

You can find a wide collection of paint by number patterns and are available at the Segmation web site at www.segmation.com. These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 7, 2000, XP, and Vista.

By a Guest Blogger

Are you a writer or a blogger? Do you have something to share with the world? Why not submit a guest blog post? You can write about any aspect of parenting and family, or anything that would be of interest to parents (which is just about anything!) Exceptional candidates who have contributed at least two guest posts, will be offered the opportunity to join our network of bloggers AND be able to post regularly on Surf Net Parents with a byline and biography.