Fostering Creativity in Children

Parents who don’t see themselves as creative often worry they aren't equipped to guide their children who express strong creative interests.

However, fostering creativity doesn't require specialised skills or a deep understanding of art - it simply requires encouragement, curiosity, and support. By showing interest in our children's work, asking open-ended questions, and providing an environment where creativity is valued, we, as parents, can nurture our child’s artistic expression.

I have a container of my daughters’ drawings and paintings that I have been collecting since they were two years old. I keep it under my bed and add to it regularly. It serves as a precious treasure trove of their creativity.

My favourite pieces are blue-tacked onto the cupboards in our kitchen to be seen and enjoyed every day. The girls also put their drawings up on the wall of the study.

I often wish some of my workshop participants who are less creatively confident could have access to proof of their creative essence as children before they started to self-doubt and self-censor. To see how free and unafraid they were in expressing themselves could remind them of what is still alive beneath the surface, waiting to be rediscovered.

If you have young children who enjoy drawing, making, writing stories, consider collecting and preserving their creations to serve as reminders of their natural curiosity and imagination.

If self-doubt ever starts to cloud my daughters' confidence in their creative abilities, I have hundreds of examples to remind them that creativity is a fundamental and timeless part of who they are.