Learn how kids can use art and creative communicating to connect with others when words aren’t enough.
Creative Communicating is SO Human
Communication is one of the most important tools we have as humans. Our ability to form complex sounds and transmit information has been crucial to our success as a species. Yet, one look around will tell you how much we struggle to connect and say what we need to say. Loneliness is rampant, important relationships regularly dissolve and let’s not even mention the horror show that is social media.
Thankfully, I have wonderful news.
Through my years as a working artist, I’ve discovered that Creative Communicating significantly enhances our ability to connect on a deeper level. This is when we use art to express ourselves and connect with others when the standard method of speaking doesn't quite cut it.
Here, I’ll explore the link between art and communication and how to raise creative children who can connect beyond just language skills.
Art as a Tool for Creative Communicating
I’d love to share with you the 3 moments in my life when I witnessed the intense power of creativity to connect and communicate.
Music as an Expression of Self
When my firstborn was four, we enrolled her in piano lessons (what can I say, I was an enthusiastic first-time parent!). Over the years, I watched my daughter progress from struggling to play basic songs to expressing herself through music.
Although I always turned to music created by professionals to connect with others and my own feelings (YAS Pink Floyd!), watching my daughter learn piano taught me something special. I saw that even amateurs and beginning musicians can use music to express their deepest selves and to connect with the people around them.
Sketching in a Foreign Land
As a college student studying Spanish, I traveled to Peru for an immersion experience. Despite my year studying in a classroom, I struggled to understand the local dialect. I felt so alone and vulnerable. Then, one night, I decided to venture out to the town plaza with my sketchbook. Before I knew it, a huge gang of kids was clambering around me, shouting basic words to me in Spanish. “Perro!”, “Casa!” “Ave!” As they shouted each word I drew a quick sketch of the thing in my sketchbook.
Those children became my first friends. They also helped me realize that, even if I lacked the words to communicate, I could always connect with other humans using my artwork.
The Magic of Drawing
For over a decade I earned a living as a caricature artist at a California amusement park. I served tourists from all over the world. Big crowds would gather around me, laughing at the drawings I did of their loved ones with big ears or big hair. Always, my goal was to amuse and delight. Every single person I drew had something special or interesting about them. I wanted them to see themselves through my eyes.
I loved when little kids would come watch me draw. They would say “Wow, how does she do that?” or “It’s like magic!” With just a marker and paper, I was able to connect with people from all over the world, and show them how much I appreciated them.
"Even if I lacked the words to communicate, I could always connect with other humans using my artwork."
Creative Communicating for our Kids (and Ourselves!)
It's crucial to teach our kids various ways of communicating, including creative methods. Here are some tips:
Learn Other Languages: Encourage children to learn different languages. Even if they don’t become fluent, studying other languages shows them how language shapes our perception of the world. It also allows them to connect with people they wouldn’t otherwise connect with.
Cultivate Creative Hobbies Practicing an art form helps us connect with others. Even something simple, like baking pies or making friendship bracelets, gives kids an outlet to express themselves and build worth within a community.
Encourage Creative Play: Play is also the ultimate universal language! And it’s the most fun of them all! Provide children with access to diverse play environments like playgrounds, forests, and art rooms to make connections, friendships, and learn their own creative language.
"Play is also the ultimate universal language!"
Creating Communicating Requires Creative Education
Finally, please do your part to support creative education. Our kids need art classes, music programs, dance, and more. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have gotten through high school if it weren’t for these programs. These activities benefit all kids, but they are especially important for individuals who can’t quite say what they need to say with words. By offering multiple ways to communicate, we equip them with the tools to become well-adjusted, expressive, and powerful individuals.
And this doesn’t just stop with our kids. I think that, given how creative we are as a species and how important communication is to our happiness, we should all have a creative outlet of some sort. From bag piping to embroidery, there is something out there for everyone!
“Music is the language of the heart without words.” - Sinichi Suzuki
Let the Creative Communicating Begin!
Incorporating creativity into our children's lives teaches them to communicate effectively and empathetically. By encouraging them to engage in creative expression and play, we help them build a life full of meaning, connection and joy.
More Creative Resources for Parents and Kids of all ages
Want more ideas for raising creative kids? Check out my other blog posts!
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