In this blog, I want to share 10 ways you can inspire creativity in the art process and share a personal story with you. When I was 12 years old, my auntie bought me the most beautiful set of pastel colors while vacationing in Santa Barbara. I had these pastels for many years. In fact, I never wanted to use them because they were so beautiful to look at. I used to imagine wonderful things I could create with them. The box was clear, hard plastic, containing 12 little 1×1 inch clear boxes, with each pastel color inside. You could see each color through the box perfectly.
They were super soft pastels. I loved this box and kept it on my art drawing table throughout my teen years. I finally used them in art college on a penguin drawing project, incorporating the soft colors in the sky background to resemble the northern lights – aurora borealis. Recently, I noticed a young student of mine looking at my art supplies.
I recognized that spark in their eyes, as if they were gazing at colorful jewels. I love art supplies and love art making! Over my 30 years of teaching art, I’ve learned many things about what inspires children to create art. Therefore, I would love to share 10 ideas that I know ignite creative thinking when children engage in art.
Inspiring Creativity 10 Ways
Experimenting With Art Mediums Can Lead to Creativity
Children can explore various art mediums and have lots of fun without formal art instruction. Allow them to explore and experience different mediums before giving detailed instructions. It can be enjoyable to observe color marks without the pressure of predetermined outcomes.
Inspiring the Process is More Important than the Outcome
Simply focus on exploring and not necessarily producing anything to keep or share—engage in art play. You might be pleasantly surprised when kids choose to create something totally unusual or exhibit out-of-the-box thinking.
Children are Capable of Learning Artistic Techniques
Introducing kids to artistic techniques can be straightforward and enjoyable. For instance, demonstrating how to create a brushstroke, blend two paint colors, grasp complementary colors, explore various surfaces for mediums.
Encouraging Creativity Through Accessibility
Setting up art supplies within reach of children can spark their interest and curiosity. By staging art activities and providing prompts, you make the creative process engaging. Children become curious and eager to explore when they see the art supplies readily available, wondering about the possibilities and wanting to try them out.
Curiosity Is Inspiring
Encouraging curiosity in children can lead to valuable learning experiences. By making activities engaging and leaving room for wonder about what comes next, you can pique their curiosity enough to try out experiments or lessons. Avoid dictating how things should look or what the results should be; instead, leaving things open-ended can trigger a sense of scientific inquiry. This approach can also be applied to creative art-making, fostering exploration and imagination.
Therapeutic Colorful Art
Children are drawn to colors as they find them therapeutic and enjoyable. Certain colors can induce a sense of flow or relaxation, even when simply playing with them. Light passing through our retinas and influencing our visual perception can evoke therapeutic emotions individually.
Art Making Promotes Expression
Self-expression is important, providing the opportunity for children to express themselves freely. Sometimes it’s hard for children to say what’s on their mind, but art-making provides them with the ability to express themselves much more easily.
Exploring Creativity Through Clay
Children often enjoy the art of clay sculpting, as it allows them to bring their imaginations to life. By starting with basic geometric or organic shapes like cubes, spheres, eggs, or snakes, kids can gradually learn the building blocks to create anything they can envision. These foundational steps are versatile and form the basis for a wide range of creative possibilities.
Simplicity in Creative Arts
Simplifying creative art for kids is essential as their perception differs from adults’. It takes time for children to develop the ability to perceive light, shade, and color values like adults do. That’s why children typically start with basic line forms in their drawings. Children often prefer drawing in lines until around the age of 10, after which some may transition to realistic drawing, but not all. It’s important to follow the child’s interests and style rather than worry about conforming to adult standards.
Fostering Artistic Creativity
Children thrive creatively when there are fewer expectations imposed by adults. As a positive mentor, it’s important to provide guidance only when necessary, avoiding dictating what should be created. Use rules and guidelines sparingly, focusing on nurturing the learning process instead. Gentle words and continuous support are key in encouraging children to stay engaged in the arts for longer periods. In my experience, a child faced with harsh, judgmental criticism is more likely to abandon art altogether, highlighting the significance of providing a supportive environment for artistic growth.
I hope you find some my art teaching muses helpful for encouraging children to explore various art projects, especially with enhancing creativity.
