I'm Not Good At Art

It was a typical day in our program. The children arrived after school and enjoyed playing outside on a sunshine-drenched afternoon. After returning to the classroom, the children ate a snack. After snack, they did some reading and relaxed. Next, the children started to choose new activities.

A few days earlier, the children expressed a desire to explore drawing. I found some interesting books about the drawing process at the local library. The books encouraged children to explore combining lines and geometric shapes to draw original characters.

Inspired by the book, several children started drawing and experimenting with shapes and lines. One child expressed an interest in joining the group. At that moment, the child was excited to learn how to express themselves with paper and pen. Then something changed. As quickly as the child expressed a desire to create, they stopped and decided not to join the group. The child walked away and shared, “I’m not good at art.”

I immediately started wondering why a young person would feel this way. I have to admit many children have said this same statement over the years. Plus, many adults think this way and shy away from creative expression. An attribute they learned in childhood.

What experiences influence children to believe only people who are good at art, or any other activity, should try it?

Children’s natural tendencies are to test the boundaries of things. With opportunity, children love to explore, experiment and create. In the book, Children as Illustrators, author Susan Conklin Thompson shares. “During the creative process, children play with ideas and materials. Learning and practicing new forms of creative expression.”

Children want to make choices, and our classroom observations confirm children want to work this way. Children want to experiment with all materials they utilize during play. As educators, we know that children’s explorations and expressions are a form of creativity.

In the book The Language of Art, author Ann Pelo describes the word art, saying. “We begin to use the word art to describe a lively engagement process with a range of materials. A reflective, creative, and deliberate engagement that deepens and extends children’s learning.”

As educators, we encourage creative expression to reinforce a message to young children that art is about participation and exploration, but sometimes, we deliver a different message.

As educators, we often confuse creativity with production. With good intentions, we offer children opportunities to explore materials, but with a catch. We tell children that materials are for specific uses only. We forget that free exploration is a part of the creative process and that working with materials does not have to lead to creating a product.

In the book, Children as Illustrators, the authors share more insight into this idea. “Many early childhood educators fall into the trap of encouraging the young children in their classrooms to create something discrete that others can understand and appreciate.” In school-age care, this is often the message shared with children. Much of the work we offer children as art is a process of reproducing the same result repeatedly. The work becomes about using the same materials and exacting techniques.

Teaching creativity as production can dampen a child’s instinct to explore and experiment with materials. As educators, our role is to help young children look beyond this practice. We can shine a light on creativity, encourage free expression, and explore new ways of collaborating with children.

We can be people who inspire children to act and think outside the box. In early childhood, the world of materials is open, accessible, and available to explore and enjoy. Inviting children to explore materials and creativity is a practice worth keeping alive.

What actions are you taking in the classroom to invite creative exploration?