Raising Creative Kids

An Isia, Billy & Mama Collaboration

There was a lovely discussion in the Creative Kids Community this week centered around the question,  "What does raising a creative kid mean to you?" And I've sat here for five minutes, looking at that question and trying to find the words again for what it means to me. Problem-solving, independent thinking, repurposing, and observant were all words that came up in the discussion. And I agree with those, but I still felt there was something more. Creativity, I believe, is more than sketching in a notebook or dragging a paint-loaded brush across a page. It's a way of looking at the world, looking at ourselves, and opening ourselves up to the potential that lies in both. Yes, sketching & painting are wonderful expressions of creativity- ones that we enjoy very much- but so is planning a meal, examining the many folds of a new blossom, or bringing about social change. All of these are creative exercises. I've realized that I might not be raising artists, that our kids may not grow up to pursue art as a career like their Mama. But I do hope that our art-filled life will help foster their creativity and give them the strength to go where it leads them. And this is, in my humble opinion, exactly why we need to keep arts & music in schools. Not to form every student into an artist or musician, but to unlock their creative potential so they can take away a different view of the world. That's what I hope my former students found in my art classroom, and that's what I hope our children find in our home.

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