5 Areas to Nurture Creativity in Your Children

Everybody is born with creative talent, but how do you discover it?  As adults we constantly look for creative outlets to take us away from the daily pressures in our lives.  Whether it's painting, photography, jewelry making or maybe a more macho form of creativity like woodworking or metalworking, our creative sides give us satisfaction and an avenue to be ourselves.  The benefits of discovering and nurturing our creative talent is enormous and the article "Creativity: Why Bother? 10 Benefits of Expressing Your Creativity" by Cynthia Morris sums it up nicely by expressing your creativity to find "fulfillment and balance in life."

So, how do we nuture this creativity in our children?

It seems today that sports and technology get more importance than creativity.  Nurturing creativity in our children sometimes takes a backseat, but it doesn't have to and can become a fantastic path to happiness and fulfillment.  There are several areas that parents can nurture creative talent in their children without much effort and based on many conversations with parents of many talented children, we have learned that there are 5 basic areas that we as parents can nuture creative talents in our children.

1. Family

This is probably the most important area where our kids need the most encouragement.  It's just not enough to say that you did a good job, it's about sitting down with your children to understand what they have created, what it means, what inspired them and what they are looking to learn.  It takes time to learn to connect to our children in their world so we can provide the necessary support as parents.  Family also includes siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.  As parents we need to communicate the need of encouragement of our children throughout the family.  If the message is delivered in the right package, it becomes very valuable.

2. Teachers

I always wanted to learn to play guitar, but had a difficult time finding someone to teach me.  Great teachers are hard to find...it took us almost 3 years to find some very inspiring instructors for our son who is maturing as an artist.  I am sure everyone of you will remember one teacher/instructor who made a lasting impression in your life.  And, I'd be willing to bet that it wasn't just because of what you learned, but also how and why you were inspired to learn from them.  Make an effort to spend time and engage with your children's instructors so in the long term your child not only learns, but is inspired to do so.

3. Friends

Your children’s friends are also very important to your their continued interest in learning and developing a talent.  Find ways to create occasions where your child can interact with other children who have the same interest.  This will help them build their own community for support as they grow and motivate and encourage other children as well.  With the help of our friends, my wife and I started Creative Children for Charity.  A wonderful program to involve like minded children to come together and create works of art for the benefit of other children in need.  This brought focus, satisfaction and a feeling of achievement in the minds of the children who participated as well as a wonderful memory for all of us as parents.

4. Community

Organize and participate in your community activities where children can showcase their talent and support their community.  When the community recognizes children for their contribution, it builds wonderful morale.  Take the time to get that exposure in the community and your child will participate and flourish in this type of environment.

5. Mentors

The role of mentors can be very important.  Mentors can be an accomplished artist in your area, a neighbor or family friend that your children look up to.  Many times I find myself struggling to communicate with my children and in those situations I seek the help of my kids' mentors to get the message across.  Try to identify mentors (professional or social) and seek their help to nurture your children's talent.

Here are a few resources that also cover nurturing creativity in children:

• Nurturing Creative Children by Dr. Yew Kam Keon
• Top 5 Ways to Nurture Gifted Children by Carol Bainbridge

Share your ideas with us on how you have found creative ways to nurture creativity in your children.