Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

– Pablo Picasso

What do you remember about making art as a child?

While some of us have fond memories of unstructured making or nurturing art classes, others may remember the teacher that “corrected” their drawing or the well-intentioned adult who questioned the quality of their work. There’s a good chance that these actions and comments don’t come from a bad place, but they do run the risk of thwarting a child’s desire to continue making art.

Use respectful language to talk about art

If we want children to trust themselves and carry their ideas forward with confidence, we have to use language that promotes the child’s ideas and respects their intelligence. And this task is surprisingly simple. I spent six years teaching art in schools, another six as a museum educator, and yet another six as a parent to art-making kids. In short, I’ve spent a lot of time talking with children about their art, both as an educator and parent. I came up with this easy tool that will help you have productive and respectful conversations with a child about their art. Why? Because some of tips helped me out when I started out, and others came to me the hard way…after lots of trial and error.

Just Five Simple Steps

Using just five simple steps, you can build a child’s confidence through art-making, and do your mighty best to keep that creative spark alive for a good, long time.

Click here and you’ll get this right away!