RECAP Guest Post: Nurturing Creativity: A call to Action
- Lucie Wheeler
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
Veronica Williams
Veronica is a Freelance Artist Educator who runs Home Ed Creatives (LIVE Online Art Classes).
She also collaborates with Charities and Businesses to offer Creative Workshops. She Home Educated her two sons up until the ages of 14 & 17. Both are now at University.
Children are born with a remarkable gift of being curious. As parents you are likely to be familiar with questions children frequently ask:
“What is happening?”
“Where are you going?
“Why do I have to go to bed?”
Curiosity begets creativity. Great art, products, inventions and discoveries are creative works sparked by a sense of curiosity by humans. The challenge today is ensuring that our children who are growing up as Digital Natives, stay curious and continue to have their creativity nurtured,
Here three simple yet impactful ways that you can help nurture your child’s creativity.
1. Stay Curious
“Creativity takes Courage”
Henri Mattisse (1869 -1954), French Visual Artist
It takes courage to see things differently; especially as we get older. Young children however, are natural explorers. If you need a reminder, try giving a young child a wooden spoon and a saucepan and see what happens.
Stay curious with your child. Ask questions in an age appropriate way and discover things together. Doing it with Art materials is a great way to start. It can be as simple as saying,
“I wonder what happens when I mix some blue paint with yellow paint.”
If painting feels intimidating, start with crayons or colour pencils. Remember no one is expecting you to produce a masterpiece - you are encouraging curiosity which underpins creative thinking.
2. Prioritise Creativity
“Creativity is as important as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”
Sir Ken Robinson (1950 - 2020), Author, Speaker and International Advisor on Education
We enjoy creativity through the timeless stories, plays and movies we love. With the increasing presence of AI permeating our lives; Sir Ken Robinson’s words ring louder than ever.
Children's books are a great way to start. The next time you read a book with your child, look at the illustration on the front and back cover. Notice how the title is designed - it’s size, colour and spacing. Are there drawings of the main characters? Ask your child why he thinks the illustrator has chosen to draw it in that way. The same type of questions can be done over breakfast with a Cereal box or even when you are out and about as you look at different signs.
Taking steps to prioritise creativity and deliberately weaving it in our times with our children regularly will help nurture their creativity.
3. Explore local resources
“When in doubt go to the library.”
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Your local library might not be as enchanting as the Hogwarts Library but it can be a treasure trove of inspiration. I personally love going to the non-fiction section and looking through books on Visual Arts and Crafts. These books are like portals to famous Artists Studios and sketchbooks. There is no need to read from cover to cover. Just leafing through the images with your child might spark their interest.
Your library might also run Art classes or have a notice board about things that are happening in the local area - perhaps a local Art Club is putting up an exhibition. In some cities, libraries have a local Museum in the same building.
Apart from Libraries, there might be National Trust or English Heritage site nearby which might have education packs and activities for children. For older children, consider taking sketch book and some pencils for your child and to do observational sketching. Whenever I have done this with children, I am often pleasantly surprised by the amount of positive comments by other visitors about seeing children draw in public.
Nurturing creativity is a vital practice that promotes overall well-being not just in children but adults. By taking steps to help nurture creativity in our children today, we are contributing towards building their confidence and resilience as they mature into adulthood.
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