Hello Do Art Nation! I hope you are all as excited for October as I am. We’ve got conferences, workshops, and more coming up, and I can’t wait to see what the next month holds.
I recently did a Creative Assembly in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Among the kids at the workshop was one boy who was excited to start animating and posting on YouTube. His mom asked me what my parents did to raise a “creative” child.
It’s a question that really had me thinking, as I drove home that night, and started to prepare for the next batch of workshops this week. What did my parents do to encourage me as a creative person?
In one sense, my parents were not especially “creative” in the typical sense of the word. They didn’t really draw, or paint, or play music. Like many adults they were, and are, engaged in their busy lives, trying to make time for self-expression in a world that encourages consumption of entertainment rather than art-making or creativity. Looking deeper, it’s clear that they found ways to be creative. My mom was, and is, and avid gardener. My dad would create delightful Jack O’ Lanterns at Halloween, or beautiful Easter egg patterns in the spring.
Often, I was left to my own devices, to engage in unstructured play in ways that helped me nourish my imagination. But what they really did was encourage me to pursue what I was interested in. More than that they encouraged me not only to be “interested” in things, but to bring this passion to life through work and practice. They read to me, and encouraged my love of reading. They took me to concerts (Peter and the Wolf at the Elgin Community College remains a core memory for me, learning the different instruments of the orchestra, and the way their unique voices bring a piece of music to life). But when, for instance, I took an interest in piano, they insisted that I practice it, taking time to learn the music my teacher assigned, spending time every day at the piano trying to get better.
Like many kids, I pushed back against this discipline. I made excuses not to practice. I’d nudge the egg timer next to the upright piano toward zero if I was particularly frustrated. I wanted creativity to be this constant thrill of creating something new, rather than the often-demanding slog of bringing an idea to life, and the anxiety of sharing it with others. I’m sure that they were just as frustrated with me as I was with them.
But something in their insistence that I could do anything if I “put my mind to it” got through to me. To this day, I see persistence and application as a fundamental component of creativity. It’s not enough to just have ideas you have to put them into practice, to set aside time each day trying to improve your skills and your ideas. Even if the time seems small, it compounds over time and builds confidence. And one day, if you’re lucky, you embrace your story as a “creative person” and start looking for people to thank.
So thanks immensely to my parents, without whom I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Who encouraged your creativity as a child? What advice would you give to parents with “creative” kids? Reach out to us and let us know. And as always, keep creating!
