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When I was a child, my aunt made all of our costumes. Becuase she had been involved in college theatre, she was adept at applying makeup as well as designing our ghost and goblin wardrobes. Aunt Minny was a real artist, and I can still smell the clown white and stage makeup as she applied it while I sat patiently on the toilet seat in the bathroom. (Close to the sink for emergency clean-ups, you know.) My sister and I loved her, and I think much of my love of all things artistic stems from her participation in our childhood.

I have never bought a Halloween costume for any of my children. All of them were hand sewn or otherwise crafted from whatever was at hand. It wasn’t just to save a penny, either. And our kids grew up just as proud as my sister and I were. In fact, the two of them felt sorry for the kids forced to wear Madonna and Spider man costumes from the mall!

Posted October 31, 2010 Comments(0)

A portrait artist can have a wonderful career. Most people would love to have a flattering portrait done of themselves, or of someone in their family. Do you have talent for portraiture? And how would you get started  working as an artist?

My advice is to have your artist materials to hand. This would include not only a sketch book, proper pencils and possibly oil paints, but a way to perfect your drawing ability. Enroll in a class at your local junior college, or take private lessons if you can afford them. If you already know you have talent, and you have the confidence to pursue this, then don’t wait! An evening drawing class could help get your portrait artist career off to an actual start, and take it from the realm of dreaming to reality!

Posted August 31, 2010 Comments(0)

You are creative. Have you tried to deny this to yourself? Well, I would like to encourage you to get things moving in that direction! One of the easiest and yummiest ways to express this is in the kitchen. How about a soup made from all the best leftovers in your refrigerator? Add your choice of spices, lots of garlic, and whatever happens to be kicking around (grains, vegies and so on)

Follow it up with some homemade chocolate chip cookies. Now THAT is something that you can sink a little creativity into! Add nuts, dried fruits and of course lots of dark chocolate chips. Delicious, and creative too. I am making myself hungry!

Creativity does not have to be only related to drawing, music or dance. Life itself can be lived as an artist!

Posted August 24, 2010 Comments(0)

Haiku are short, lovely poems of usually just 17 syllables. Most of them have something to do with one of the four seasons. They originated in Japan, but they have migrated and seem to be quite a world-wide phenomena.

Have you ever tried you hand at writing one? I think of them as little snapshots of life, crystal clear and somewhat wistful. And you would be surprised at the skill it takes to create them! Not to scare you off; I think everyone, young and old should indulge in a little Haiku writing. It is amazing the beauty and joy that one can find in just a few short lines.

And if you want to keep to the seasonal motif, you can have quite a bit of fun. But where I live, there are not vast seasonal changes, so I would have to get around that somehow. Haiku for the Southeast?

Posted August 18, 2010 Comments(0)

I think ADHD and creativity deserves some more attention. As a matter of fact, did you know that some believe this is a completely invented label? Now I am not saying that there aren’t children who get antsy, can’t sit still and so forth. But rather than drugging them, why now find out the source of the problem? Often creative children are just plain bored.

Or another possibility is that your child has not had a sufficient protein breakfast. This alone can mess up his or her ability to concentrate. Sugary breakfast cereals do not give energy for very long. Your child may be plain hungry for real nourishment! If it were me, I would find out the true source of my child’s trouble. I can assure you he doesn’t have a Ritalin deficiency!

Posted August 11, 2010 Comments(0)

Are all children artists? Well, that is an interesting question. All children, minimally, are creative. Some excel in the art of drawing, dance, theater, singing and so forth. While others are creative in science or math. Still others may be natural born mechanics. Whatever your child’s interest, it should be nurtured like a the delicate sapling that it is.

Parents who criticize their children endlessly need to take a good hard look at the future mess they are creating. Allowing a young person to follow his or her dream may be difficult, especially if it goes directly against some purpose of their own. My advice? Be a Man (or a Woman) and let your child pursue his or her own dream, unfiltered through your parental sieve.

Posted July 14, 2010 Comments(0)

I have long had an interest in the child prodigy artist . What exactly makes a child a prodigy? My old Throndike Barnhart dictionary says “As infant prodigy is a child remarkably brilliant in some respect.” Of course this might include a prodigy in mathematics, music, art or many other areas.

I was reading about a six year old boy who paints like a master. His work is indeed beautiful. Watercolors full of atmosphere and shadow. This young man is named Kieron Williamson. You can find out a bit about him by clicking on the link above or just googling for him yourself. What I find so remarkable about his work is that it is neither child-like, nor dismally “realistic.” I think it communicates as much about the artist as it does the subject matter, in the manner of all great art. As I’ve always known, there is much untapped talent in every child, and some children are certainly destined for greatness in their ability.

Posted February 7, 2010 Comments(0)

Think outside the box! I believe all of us are far more capable of creating than we ever dreamt possible. Do you think you don’t have any talent? Hah! Every one of us has it. I believe it is God-given, and is only waiting to be developed.

Why not give it a try? There is nothing to lose by picking up a pencil and doing a little sketching, or sitting down at the computer and writing your memoirs. The possibilities are so endless. How about redesigning your bedroom? Writing a cookbook? Starting a garden? All of the above! If you can dream about it, you can do it.

Here’s another one that I highly recommend: Start writing your own blog! It is easy, fun and you can develop your writing skills.

Posted February 3, 2010 Comments(0)

Time to make your holiday gifts! With the holidays a little over a month away, it’s time to make a trip to Michael’s or your local craft store and get some inspiration. Why not make all your gifts this year? I’ve done this for many seasons, and think it’s a great way to experience your inner artist. Your children and grandchildren will love you for it, and the presents you give will be so much more meaningful.

If glue, paper and beads just aren’t your thing, then bake goodies that can be enjoyed by your clan. One young lady in my family collects holiday tins from the thrift store, carefully washes them, and fills them with homemade cookies for everyone in the family. This is a tradition everyone looks forward to, especially her children.

Have an old fashioned and loving holiday season, and start it right now!

Posted November 22, 2009 Comments(0)

You can set a great example for your children and grandchildren by being creative yourself. I grew up in a family where both my parents worked as artists. Their own love of creating was the best gift my parents could have given me. From that early experience, I decided that being an artist was not only a viable career choice, but that it was an important one.

I worry about the public school system today, with the creative arts getting short shrift. I believe that learning to paint or play an instrument is equally important to becoming a whiz in math or science. Did I say equally? Well, that’s not quite right. It is way MORE important to create.

If you think your child is more intellectual than artistic, or worse, he has no “talent,” then think again. Creativity is part of the human condition, and we all deserve to indulge in it. It can be a full-time career or a part time hobby. And let me ask you this, was Einstein creative?

Posted October 5, 2009 Comments(0)