What Kids Can Teach Us About Creative Self-Care

What Kids Teach Creative Self Care

Today I have a the honor of doing a guest post on Tinkerlab about how our kids can teach us creative self-care. Have you been on Tinkerlab with Rachelle Doorley yet? It’s an amazing art education site. Rachelle focuses on art education for kids and families, but I share tons of Rachelle’s art ideas because many of them work for everyone.

Whether or not you have kids of your own, I’m a fan of seeking out opportunities to study with and learn from little artists. Little ones are untouched by the inner critic or our culture’s standards about what art is and is not. Using “kids” art prompts is a great way to get past our own hang-ups and inner critiques.

If you pay attention and follow their lead, kids will show you how to use art as a coping skill, a way to express and explore feelings, and a way to quiet a busy mind. Kids regulate their feelings through art naturally, and we can learn to do it again too.

So grab your child, niece, grandson, or just your own inner artist, and get ready to create. Here’s the post on learning creative self-care with kids.

4 Comments

Imelda on August 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm

This is really quite interesting. I’ve written a guest post lately about a very similar matter: talent and how to overcome being called “untalented”. It happens so often, while in fact the PROCESS is so much more important than the RESULT. I also mentioned children and their approach to art 🙂
Reply
- Amy Johnson Maricle on August 2, 2016 at 4:33 pm
  
  HI Imelda:
  
  Yes! Process over product is such a great focus. Thanks for putting it in those words.
  
  Cheers,
  
  Amy
  Reply
Adrianne on January 17, 2017 at 12:15 pm

Thank you so much Amy; this is fabulous. I had not heard of Tinkerlab, and I can’t wait to check it out.
Creative Self Care is such a way of life for you, and you are inspirational in helping it become the same for me.
Reply
- Amy Johnson Maricle on January 19, 2017 at 8:38 am
  
  Thanks so much, Adrianne – you will love Rachelle’s ideas at Tinkerlab! So glad to connect you.
  
  XO Amy
  Reply