3 Simple Ways to Cultivate the Inner Artist in Your Child

From the time my daughter Emilee was a little girl, I knew there was something special going on whenever she had a crayon or magic marker in her hand.  Something would settle in her, she would focus, and while all this creative energy was bouncing around in her brain, she would produce these amazing works of art for her age.

I was caught in between the tension of wanting to encourage her gift, but at the same time, I didn’t want her to feel pressured to create, which would take all the joy out of it for her.

Do you ever have that struggle?  Wanting to bring out your child’s gifts but not force it?  They smell that kind of coercion a mile away. If you see a little spark of artistic talent in your child – or maybe you just want to explore that area a little, it’s possible to bring out your child’s inner artist without forcing it.

Here are 3 Simple Ways to Cultivate the Inner Artist in Your Child

1. Create Projects

If you try to tell your child to sit down and ‘do art,’ there’s a good chance that he or she will bristle and resist just for the sake of resisting (because isn’t that what all kids do?!?).  Instead, try giving creative projects to work on: a picture for the living room, a card for grandma, a mural on the closet door (the inside, of course).  When you package it in a way where you need their help and have a mission for their talent, kids are more likely to respond in a positive way.

2. Use Quality Products

When I was a kid, there was nothing that inspired me more than a brand new notebook and new pens and markers.  It’s the same for kids today.  If kids have quality instruments to use, it really inspires them to create and brings out their desire to make something beautiful.

A favorite for us has always been Prang. Prang, a company with art and craft solutions since 1882, has an amazing reputation for quality. They use the latest technological innovations to create their supplies, and we’ve never been disappointed.

Hand my daughter colored pencils, watercolors, crayons, paint, you name it and she was a happy camper but the washable markers were always one of Emilee’s favorites.  They are especially perfect for young little artists.  They have a durable tip that resists denting, especially when little fingers push too hard.  The markers have colors that are bright and vibrant, and they are non-toxic. As a mom, my favorite things about the markers? They can survive 24 hours with no cap, without drying out (what mom hasn’t been frustrated with throwing away dried out markers?), and they don’t bleed through the paper (getting ink all of over my kitchen table).

Emilee’s other favorite as she was growing up – and even now – were the watercolors. These watercolors are pure pigments, with no wax fillers, and even at a young age, her creations were stunning using Prang. If your child is showing any kind of promise, it is totally worth it to give him or her high-quality Prang art supplies and materials to create with.

3. Encourage Art to Process Emotions.

Some children just can’t sit down and begin drawing or painting.  Either it’s not a natural gift for them or maybe their imagination hasn’t had the time to develop.  It might help to introduce art to your child as a way to process emotions.  If you notice that your child is happy or sad or angry, try encouraging him (gently!) to draw or paint a picture to show how he’s feeling.  This will give your child a reason to draw or paint, and at the same time, it uses a different modality to help him process what he’s feeling. Lots of times, children don’t have the vocabulary or the maturity to process and express their feelings.  Art is a very natural means of emotional expression for kids, and it gives their feelings a language.

Not only will your child grow in his artistic expression over time, he’ll also learn healthy ways to deal with and process emotions that he’s feeling.

As parents, it can be tricky to notice, cultivate and pull out our kids’ natural giftings.  It takes a sharp eye and a lot of patience to notice it and to encourage it in a way that doesn’t feel pressured or forced.  Art is one of those areas that many kids are naturally drawn to, so with a little finesse, we really can encourage natural talent as well as foster the pure enjoyment of art and the use of their imaginations.

A child doesn’t have to be talented in art to love art. And we shouldn’t make talent a requirement. Art for the sheer sake of the enjoyment of it is more than enough for most kids. And it should be enough for us as parents, too.

Be sure to check out Prang‘s website to learn more! You can earn free supplies also! Visit the Prang Power website for program information.