Have you ever painted with your kids? Ever since our community formed Creative Children for Charity, we have had the best experience painting with kids. Being able to empower children and provide them with a channel to support other children in need has been one of the most fulfilling experiences. I have learned so much working with kids and some of the most important lessons in life that you just can't learn from a textbook.
Recently my son and I were at the Junior Asha meeting where we were introducing Creative Children for Charity to about 15 teenage girls. When I told them about the process; we will all paint together and then sell the final artwork to help generate money for their charity; they liked the idea, but were still a little resistant to participate. So, I started to ask some questions to understand their resistance and found out that it was just the simple fear of failure...they were afraid they wouldn't know how to draw or what colors to use or whether the end result would be good enough that someone would actually want to buy it. Of course we helped them ease their fears and they created some of the best pieces of artwork.
The lesson learned here is that we need to help our kids explore the world of art and painting creatively with kids is complete BLISS. Here are some tips to get the creative juices flowing with your kids:
Be relaxed: First and foremost, everyone has to be relaxed when painting...creativity is something that has to be enjoyed and relished, so there should not be any pressure to deliver. When you provide an easy and fun environment...children will explore their own creativity.
Learn by experimenting: In order to get the right color, pattern or texture, experimentation is key and this process should be encouraged.
Imagination is key: Imagination can be anything...either in the creation itself or the process to create through an effect with colors, textures or patterns. Usually giving the kids visuals, themes or ideas will help stimulate their imagination and creativity.
Support: Supporting an individual in their own personal way is a must...everyone has their own process and unique style so being able to customize suggestions and assistance is very effective.
Seek help: Allow your kids to seek help from you and within their group as well as outside experts to assist in giving confidence and sharing knowledge.
Please share your tips on painting with kids or any other crafts you do with children.
And, if you are interested in learning more about Creative Children for Charity, please become a fan on Facebook. We have a very exciting event coming up on September 18, 2010 and we will announce more details on our fanpage.
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4 Comments
Oh gosh, I get so sad hearing stories of kids feeling inhibited like their creativity won’t be good enough. I’m so glad you were able to get the girls you mentioned to participate and realize that no matter how your work turns out, it is still artistic and beautiful. I truly believe in empowering children to create whatever they envision and not be confined to thinking they are not good enough. We need to break that cycle in our youth and encourage them let their creativity flow freely!
Its really true that you have to overcome the fear of failure to achieve anything… Its all the more difficult since this fear forms root from a past experience.
In fact, I am learning a lot from my daughter who seems to ignore her past failures and tries again. It has helped me in my job sometimes and in dealing with relationships at other times.
Children teach you a lot while it may seem that you are teaching them. The key is to keep encouraging them to experiment and appreciate where due and give constructive feedback at other times. And of course they teach you too :)
Very nice article, steps are so simple and easy to implement…which I think will not only benefit childern even parents can also learn a lot simeltaneously.
@Courtney, thanks, I totally believe children have the power to make a difference. As adults, it is our responsibility to show them their path through inspiration.
@Supriya, Thanks so much for sharing your story. I learn so many things from my kids. Everyday is a new learning day!
@Murali, thanks for leaving your comment. I appreciate it immensely.