“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art!”

— Andy Warhol

What is Art?
If you’ve read any of my posts about art, I have probably mentioned that making art with special needs adults was particularly challenging because they had this preconceived notion that unless you could draw, you can’t make art. I can’t draw. Like at all. No people, no animals, not inanimate objects, nothing. Yet I love to create art. Am I good at it? I have no clue. I think a lot of times as adults we put way too much thought into what constitutes art and whether or not what we’re making is to the liking of those around us.

For adults I think it’s important to think about how you feel while you’re creating and even after you have finished. Does it calm you? Relax you? Do you feel energized and creative? Are you trying to get out some built up aggression? Frustration? Afterward do you feel like a need was satisfied? I think that’s really the point. I think it’s more about the artist and less about what people think about it. An artist, regardless of how young or old is compelled to create. They don’t create because they want people to tell them what they think, but they create because they HAVE to. If you look at a piece of art and it resonates with you or evokes emotion? Great. But if not? The creator of the artwork is still satisfied.

Now moving along to children, they just need the opportunity to create art. Do they know what they’re doing? Hard to say, depending on their age. Do they enjoy it? If they’re doing it, chances are they enjoy it unless you’re forcing them to do it. They may like it because it’s an opportunity to get messy. They may like it because they have an idea and want to “put it on paper” so to speak. There are different kinds of satisfaction for kids than adults. In my experience children don’t really seem to care what we as viewers think about their creations — which is probably why they enjoy it as much as they do.

“I am not creative at all, what can I do with my child?”
For those who don’t really consider themselves “creatives” but may want to give their child the experience of exploring their own creativity, what can they do? Just about anything, to be honest. Give a toddler a paint brush and some washable paint or make bath paint and let them paint themselves. Or trace them on a piece of paper and let them paint their outline. Make some playdough and let them mix the different colors of the playdough. If you make your own, it’s really inexpensive and you can always make more. Make a sculpture of items you gather around the house or from things you were planning on throwing away or recycling. We once created a beautiful, gigantic Chihuly sculpture that we made with empty plastic water bottles in our art class a few years back.

There are some wonderful children’s books about different artists and styles of art at your local library. So if you’re wanting to take it a step further, you can have your own lesson plan of sorts. I have also used Master Kitz which are AMAZING. If you aren’t into the art but want to make art with your child, I highly recommend one of these kits. They aren’t that expensive (around $25) and it gives you all the supplies you’ll need plus step by step directions to make some beautiful art, inspired by some of the most famous artists and paintings.