Kid Art

I've been thinking a lot about art and creativity and raising my children. Today was a rough day for art projects. There was a lot of collateral damage and I used my magic eraser and carpet cleaner way too much for my taste. I also tried to "help" a little too much with the artwork and Red Fish let me know it. I should be ashamed of myself on that one. I nearly had a seizure when one of my highschool teachers "helped" one of my drawings by redrawing something after I left for the day. Nobody likes being told their work isn't good enough.

I think that sometimes it's hard as a parent to appreciate scribbles and fingerprints. I find myself getting caught up in a project and trying to show Red Fish just how it should be or try and push the project to turn out as I envisioned. I have to stop and remind myself that the process is more important than the product. I have to keep the big picture of self expression and creativity in mind. Red Fish is getting more value out of the experience of using the materials and tools than she would if I tried to force her into turning out a "pretty picture." (Although I think her artwork is beautiful.) The cognitive thinking skills she is gaining, the freedom to express herself, her understanding of spacial relationships, color, and so many other things are growing in leaps and bounds.

On Sunday she spent hours painting and I could actually see her learning as she experimented with the paint. It was so cool. She was using sponge brushes and stamps and after awhile she stopped using the ink pads and started painting the stamps to see what shapes it would make. Then she would put the brush on the paper and squish it with her hand and see the splotches it made instead of lines. I could just see the wheels in her little brain turning. When I looked at a painting she made in July compared to the ones she did over the weekend I could see a ton of growth. By growth I do not mean the painting was of an actual object. I've never understood why so many people think that makes art great. I feel bad when people can't see anything else. Why does the picture need to be a realistic rendering for it to be appreciated? I think this is where a lot of elementary kids get jipped on supposed "art" in school.

I distinctly remember being in third grade and being forced to cut out a pre-printed haunted house and glue it exactly like every other child in my classroom. I thought it was completely pointless and a stupid waste of time. I still think that it was a stupid activity now. I refused to do it and told the teacher I didn't want a haunted house and it wasn't art anyway. I got in big trouble (probably for having a smart mouth.) I've heard from several people I know how pleased they are that their children finally learned to color in the lines in their coloring book. Has coloring in the lines ever really been a useful skill in your life? Did you gain some incredible artistic vision from coloring in a drawing someone else made? That said, Red Fish does have a couple of coloring books that she likes. She also loves stickers, but coloring in the lines isn't the point. The point is to enjoy herself and learn how to use different mediums.