“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
To receive glory and honor and power
 for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Revelation 4:11

We Are Made To Be Creative

God, the creator of all things, made us in his image. This means we too are creative. We are made to create, be creative, see and create beauty, and most of all enjoy his creation.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, is it not?

My oldest hated coloring. I did not let her near crayons until she was about 6 because of the tears that would ensue. This is not to say we did not create or that she was not creative herself, quite the opposite! The lines of the coloring sheet were just too limiting and restricting for her perfectionist personality. She needed to color outside the lines but at the same time would not allow herself to do so. Can you relate?

We need to allow ourselves unrestrained artful expression. Find ways to create and not just color inside what someone else created.

Now I did not always see myself as creative. I am not the crafty mom who would organize activities for her kids to create, nor did I regularly get out craft supplies. Glitter is banned in my house. I felt social pressure as a homeschool mom to allow my kids a creative outlet. I didn’t by any means try to stifle creativity. I provided crayons, scissors, markers, paper etc. It was more of an unschooling approach to art and creativity and I am so glad I didn’t try to contrive or constrain my children’s art and creative outlets.

Encourage Your Kids Natural Creative Abilities.

As mentioned before, we are made in the creator’s image, and therefore we are made to create.

It was not necessary for me to try and force or instill this quality in my kids, they come by it naturally! I only needed kindle whatever creative fires burned inside them.

Sometimes it was creating in the kitchen making up their own “recipe.”

Discovering a collection of pretty rocks or leaves, appreciating the beauty of each one and laying them out in a pretty design.

Building with Legos or blocks, imaginative play and dress-up.

Making up a new game or story.

Singing a song they have made up, playing instruments, or rhythms.

These are all creative. No glitter required, no crafty mom abilities necessary, no art class required.

Find Your Unique Way to Create More Than Consume

I did not always think of myself as an artist or creator. I had too many interests, and none of them really took off. I was decent at art, better than some, but surrounded by much better. I can play and even read some music, sing perhaps, but not enough to perform for others. I can knit, crochet, and even sew, but I takes much time and energy (8 years to knit a baby blanket to be exact!)

I wanted to be great at just one thing, if only I could find it.

Perhaps I was made to be mediocre at many things.

I found this book  Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom by Kelli Stuart, Wendy Brunner

I wasn’t an artist, or a musician, or anything specific. I wanted to try it all, dabble, have variety, try new things. I was a Renaissance Mom!

Are you a Renaissance Mom? Do you try many things, but never seem to master any of them? That is better than OK, that is amazing.

Being a renaissance mom, I have never pushed one way of being creative onto my kids. It has allowed variety in our home, discovery of our unique abilities and interests, and freedom to move on to the next thing and never get stuck.

For this reason, I love unschooling the arts. Let them explore design, crafting, drawing, soap carving, block building, food mixing, rhythm making, story-telling, painting, fort construction etc. Even as they get older, and their interests are more fine-tuned, let variety seep in. Show them it’s ok to not be the best, but enjoy variety and learn new things.

Teach your kids:

• How to try new things.
• See themselves as creative.
• Have a variety of experiences.
• Find out for themselves what they enjoy, not just copy or imitate others.

Most of all my mantra is Create more than you Consume!

I don’t know where I first hear this, as it is all over the internet as our consumption has taken priority in so many ways and we need to fight back. But how?

How to Make Time to Create More

• Manage your time, don’t let it manage you: it is easy to get sucked into the vortex of the internet or daily “to do’s.” Next thing you know an hour has slipped by and what do I have to show for it? Set boundaries in place be it for the phone usage, computer, or TV. Lead by example. Don’t just set screen time for your kids, make it a priority for yourself to limit screen time and spend more time engaged with others or creating.
• Find creative pockets: set little bits of time aside for being creative. Whatever it is that week, be it writing, knitting, drawing, building, decorating, etc. Make pockets of time or attach it to another already occurring habit. Morning coffee, afternoon snack break, right after school is done. Creativity doesn’t have to be a long event, it can be little pockets of time to practice a new skill, or chip away at a small project. Make it accessible-Keep your supplies handy and available. If it’s drawing, know where the best sharpened pencils are and keep them in the area you want to use them. Have a caddy of rotating supplies for the latest craft or project. You don’t need a whole room, use a tote, or a shelf where necessary supplies are kept. Rotate out materials as necessary.
• Use the right tools- quality over quantity. I loathe cheap kid arts supplies. This is one of the reasons I avoided it and so did my oldest. It is FRUSTRATING to use lousy tools to accomplish a task. Artists don’t use cheap tools for a reason, they invest in high quality because the outcome is just that much better. Ways to do this and not break the bank:
  • Research- find out what the teachers in that area are using and buy the best quality that you can afford.
  • Quality over quantity-don’t go hog wild. Buy only what you need to get you started. Sketching? Buy 1-5 quality sketch pencils of different hardness and a really good erasure.
  • Skimp where you can—buy quality pens, pencils, paint etc and skimp on the paper until you decide it’s worth the investment.
  • Shop 2^nd hand-thrifts stores, yard sales, grandma’s closet-shop for 2^nd hand cast offs that may be better quality at a lower price. Ask around to see if someone has extra yarn they are not using, or a mixer from someone who no longer enjoys baking.
• Teach life skills (many are creative) The Useful Book: 201 Life Skills They Used to Teach in Home Ec and Shop. I loved making lists of life skills to teach my kids, and then I found The Useful Book. It has everything you could want to teach your kids before they graduate and beyond. It is all encompassing, easy to follow, and just an all around great resource for ideas on what to teach and how to teach it. Try something out of your comfort zone—I learned how to patch and paint walls so the kids and I could redecorate their rooms. In the age of YouTube there is no excuse for not learning something. I taught myself how to knit, which is VERY difficult when you are learning from a book or pamphlet. SEEING it in action is way better. Videos can be slowed down, you can shop around for a how to that fits your needs and style, don’t be afraid to incorporate technology to your advantage. Welcome To Art For Kids Hub (youtube.com) Art for Kids Hub has taught each of my kids how to draw and to not be afraid of “messing it up.” Often times things are more difficult that we make them out to be in our heads and we just need to jump in a give it a try.

Creative Homeschool Resource List

Ed Emberly – Simple and fun “How to Draw” books, made doable for all ages

Art for Kids Hub – A Dad and his kids draw side by side creating a variety of popular drawings and characters your kids will love!

Prisma Colored Pencils – ]Don’t skimp on art supplies! Make drawing enjoyable

Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom by Kelli Stuart, Wendy Brunner – Don’t think you are creative? Give this a read and be transformed with how you see creativity and art in your own life.

The Useful Book – Best resource for Life Skills to teach your kids before graduation and beyond!