I think of all children as being gifted. Maybe I am naive, but I cannot look at a baby and imagine anything but a life of creation for that child.
Tooks the Mushroom Fairy
It has been said that children’s art is some of the best and most creative. I have studio walls covered top to bottom with my granddaughter’s drawings. I don’t display them just to make her feel good. I tape them to my walls because seeing them make me feel good. How could you NOT smile at this rendition of Tooks, the Mushroom Fairy? (by Ada Rosenfield)
So how do you raise a gifted child? I am not an “expert”, but having raised a couple of artists myself, I do have some opinions:
- Do not “correct” their creations
- Encourage their art, music, stories and so on
- Display the ones you especially love
- And most importantly, do not stifle your own creativity
Seeing a parent pursue his or her artistic goals creates a strong reality that it can be done. What would you love to create? A child is like a sponge, soaking up the joy of creation that surrounds him. Of course, he will soak up heartbreak and cruelty as well. We can choose quite a bit of what our little sponges absorb.-Merry
I definitely agree! Great post! 🙂
What a darling fairy!
I especially love your bullet point number four. So important!
Yes indeed. And that last point is where it all begins! – Merry
Thank you, Natalie. Do you have children yourself? Have you found this to be true? – Merry