One of the highlights early this year was receiving an email from a child saying that s/he admired my work and would like some tips to become an artist. I meaaaan, I was truly flattered that I would be seen that way by anyone as I’m still deeply admiring other artists’ work and wondering how I could work to improve my own stuff to get to that level.
I responded with a few tips and thought these would be fun to share here. I’ve edited and added some examples that apply for younger kids to adults now!
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You can be creative in any way. Drawing is often an easy way to start, just with the good ‘ol pencil to paper. It helps you understand shapes, textures, shadows and more! Trying other ways to create - with paint, with clay, with any materials you have (even cardboard!), with photography or videography. There are so many ways to make things. Fun fact - my husband once made a cool real guitar out of tempered (broken windshield) glass for one of his art classes that still sits in our garage (don’t attempt to do this if you’re a child!).
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Volunteer to be the "artist” in your class or any clubs you might be in the future. I have done this since I was very little. You might have a group activity where they want someone to draw or write. You can be that person! So much of the skills I picked up came about from volunteering for the artsy projects. It’s too bad I didn’t have my own camera then, but I remember painting a huge mural of the “Lady and the Tramp” for Spirit Week at my high school. Signing up to be the graphic designer for a school club in college gave me mostly all my Adobe skills I use today. Even in my healthcare day job, I volunteer to be that artist.
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If you come across programs or classes that teach art or anything creative, try it out if you can. When I was in high school, the Academy of Art in San Francisco had free summer classes for high school students. They were only a few days, but I learned tips in illustration, interior design, still life painting and more. Your local rec center will often have classes for both kids and adults, so I highly recommend checking those out.
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Collect inspiration. Making art comes from inspiration and ideas you get from your surroundings. If you see something pretty when you're walking out in the park, maybe you can take a photo of it. If there's a sticker you like, you can put it in your collection and think about why you like it - is it the colors? is it the way it is drawn?
I also have to express how grateful I am to have a husband, who is also a creative - a 3D animator by profession, photographer/videographer among other creative endeavors. I’m sure that as we watch our kids grow, we will come up with more ways to nurture creativity for them, so stay tuned for more tips in the future!