Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Today I’m continuing our conversation with painter and homeschool curriculum author Dan Ellis. Dan, how can homeschool parents foster creativity in their children?

Daniel Ellis:
Well, I like to tell people the first thing they really need to know is it’s already there. The kids are already creative—they come standard equipment, and what we’re really doing is protecting and encouraging what already exists.

The most important tool for that is to memorize this phrase, whenever your kids show you their artwork: “I love this! Tell me about it.” By loving it so much every time, this enforces their self-image, which is very important for the trial and error process that is creativity. You have to try things and get them wrong, to find out how to do things right in the arts. And on top of that, they need easy access to materials, and we need to step back and let them do their own work. We don’t draw for them, we can’t be, you know, correcting their drawings, but you can point them out to information that will help them see areas that they’re troubled with. So, basically, we are nurturing, rather than creating, what’s already there.

Mike:
Well that’s great advice! And thanks for sharing those ideas with us today! Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.