What to do with a child who enjoys art...

[LLJsmom]

Dear PSers, @stracci2000 ,

I hope you don't mind me just asking for some input from some of you who may be artistically inclined. I don't have any art background, nor do I have family that has pursued a degree or career in the art field.

I'm not against pursuing a higher degree in art, but I'm just not sure what career options are out there for people with art degrees. I don't see her pursuing a career strictly in art (although I'm not even sure what that means). I am hoping that her experience in art allows her to tap into the creative side which can be used in any field. She enjoys using technology, writing, etc. I wonder what majors are out there that are interdisciplinary that allow her to use her art back ground and another major.

I'll be honest. I don't have any idea of how to nurture an artist. I have been happy to send her to art class, once a week, since she was six, and then she has taken whatever art class she wanted since she started high school. I let her paint or do whatever she wants on her own, but she isn't obsessed with art. Sometimes paints for fun, or whatever...

So if anyone has any suggestions for stuff I can do to encourage her, develop her skills, expose her to different ways her creative background can be used in the future, or even other good art classes to take, I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks so much.
LLJ

 

[stracci2000]

@LLJsmom
All you need to do is encourage her to draw and paint as much as she likes. It looks like she is well on her way.
I would tell you to let her enter local art competitions, but I'm afraid that these are probably not happening this year. Art festivals and other events are great, but not going on either.
You can still take her to local galleries, museums, etc. Seeing other artist's work is great for inspiration.
I'm sure by the time she is ready to decide on college, she will know what she wants to do.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing art on her own.
I wish her luck!

I am tagging @RunningwithScissors , as I know she is an accomplished artist

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Has she or you had a chat with the careers advisor at school ?
Or the art teacher ?

 

[Polabowla]

What about graphic design, architecture, interior design or decorating

 

[LLJsmom]

Has she or you had a chat with the careers advisor at school ?
Or the art teacher ?

Nope, never discussed with them. She is a sophomore, and the public schools would probably have generic responses. I can look up the decent art schools. And then covid happened. But it couldn't hurt. Maybe when people are back in school, I may schedule something. The teachers at school don't even know. She's only taken one art class in high school so far.

 

[LLJsmom]

What about graphic design, architecture, interior design or decorating

Hmmmm. I wonder how I would expose that to her, other than have her take classes so she can see what it's like. We had her take a couple online fashion design classes during the summer. She thought it was interesting, but didn't love it.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Its late at night where I am and the verbal part of my brain is tired, so I'll try to answer the best I can.

There are many different career paths and professions open to people who are visually inclined and/or like making or designing things.

Forms of engineering require (or at least are aided by) being able to see three-dimensional form in space and rotate it in one's head.

Like @Polabowla said, graphic design and desktop publishing (designing ads and magazine layouts, etc) is its own career path. There's film and set design. Interior design (my mom's an interior designer so I can answer questions about that career if you are interested.)

There's also art historian, and art theorist (yes that exists.) Art teacher and art professor.

I trained for awhile in landscape architecture/design and almost went into that field before my painting career took off. Landscape architecture combines a visual aptitude plus a love of science and the outdoors (you have to also study botany and soil science and be able to at least pass chemistry, etc.)

Video game design is a really big field and pays very well. If she likes techie stuff, then she may be interested in that.

And yes, people can make a living out of just painting, drawing or sculpting. But it is a road that isn't always easy and it requires a lot of training and hard work. (Contrary to popular belief, people aren't born knowing how to do it, even those who show an early aptitude still require a LOT of training.)

When exposing your daughter to art training, remember that the quality of the teacher/teaching varies significantly. Never just assume local teachers are good or even know what the heck they are talking about. Many do more harm than good, instilling bad habits and misinformation. (Think about the BS many Pricescopers are told about diamonds if they walk into a Kay Jewelry store -- absolute rubbish. Same is true in the art world.) I know it is probably unnerving to hear that. For example, those "Pinots & Pallets" type places are absolute junk and have absolutely nothing to do with real painting and the people running them have zero training or knowledge of the professional art world.

I have lots more thoughts, but I'm going to have to sign off for now as its late and I'm totally exhausted from being in my studio all day.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

@LLJsmom What part of the country are you in? What is your nearest large city? If you tell me that I can give you some schools or organizations that you might want to check out.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Different art schools have vastly different "styles" for lack of a better word.

For example, visiting Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) will give you a completely different window into the art world and what is possible than say The Art Institute of Chicago. And Yale, which is a wonderful school for other disciplines, has an art department that is completely out to lunch.

Then there are "ateliers" which work more like an old fashioned apprenticeship programs. These are good post-college if a person wants to really hone their fine art skills (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Nope, never discussed with them. She is a sophomore, and the public schools would probably have generic responses. I can look up the decent art schools. And then covid happened. But it couldn't hurt. Maybe when people are back in school, I may schedule something. The teachers at school don't even know. She's only taken one art class in high school so far.

I don't have kids so i don't know and i went to high school in the '80's and it seems everything the kids learn these days is different
but i remember my freind i went to school with who was the most amazing artist - her parents made her go to cooking school because it had better job prospects, and she had a miserable time once she got out in the work force
Her talent and passion was completly wasted

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom
All you need to do is encourage her to draw and paint as much as she likes. It looks like she is well on her way.
I would tell you to let her enter local art competitions, but I'm afraid that these are probably not happening this year. Art festivals and other events are great, but not going on either.
You can still take her to local galleries, museums, etc. Seeing other artist's work is great for inspiration.
I'm sure by the time she is ready to decide on college, she will know what she wants to do.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing art on her own.
I wish her luck!

I am tagging @RunningwithScissors , as I know she is an accomplished artist

Thank you @stracci2000 . I appreciate any thoughts. I really don't know the right way to approach this. Do I try to get her to take as many different classes as possible? Do I let her take whatever she is interested in? I don't want to pressure her and I also don't want to miss the opportunities for her to develop her skills. I've tried to expose her to some art. She's been to a few exhibits in our city, but we don't go to the museum regularly. She's not super excited about it, but we try to take her when there is something special.

Thanks for tagging other PSers with an art background.

 

[strawrose]

My husband majored as an illustrator. Nowadays, he designs websites and is pretty successful. His coworkers design promotional materials for small to large clients.

My parents were wary because of this (asian parents want you marry a doctor, lawyer or engineer!), but we are living comfortably and saving for a down payment. If your daughter learns how to market herself and succeed in getting clients, it can be a career.

Let’s be honest: without artists, the products that we use would be really ugly and hard to use. The television shows we watch would be incredibly boring. Also, bling wouldn’t be as fun to look at! Art affects everyday life, even if we aren't conscious of it.

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom What part of the country are you in? What is your nearest large city? If you tell me that I can give you some schools or organizations that you might want to check out.

Hi @RunningwithScissors , we are in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have the major museums in SF but we don't go regularly. I try to encourage her to be creative, and that art is not just one medium. To give you some background, here are the kinds of things we have exposed her to.

We have traveled with her and tried to expose her to as many things as possible. I kind of look at everything as art, just different forms of it, manifesting the creativity of man. She seems to lean more traditional art. Her favorite museum was the Rijks Museum. Her favorite piece was The Night Watch. She said she likes Rembrandt. I don't know enough to know what the significance of that is. We also went to the Van Gogh Museum. The big ones in Paris, Louvre, Orsay. We visited Venice in winter, when it was really empty, so she got to see a lot, St. Marks Basilica and we went to the top. Rome was really interesting. We took an early morning guided tour of the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel with only 20 people in the room. We visited the Picasso Museum and Sagrada Familia. Essentially, I just wanted her to know that all this stuff is out there, buildings, art, whole cities, that are so different from what we see in the U.S. and all of it was due to creativity of people. All this is so general. Other than just traveling, I don't even know if doing this does anything for her. I don't know how to nurture whatever is in her, except encourage her to take classes in anything she is interested in. I wish I could give her more specific direction. Sigh... Thanks for anything, a course, a school, a direction, anything that I could do more specifically.

She's not obsessed with art. Sometimes she will feel like painting, and at times she goes a long time without doing anything. Now with Covid, she hasn't been going to her weekly art classes. I'm not sure if I should encourage her to keep doing something or if its ok to go for a long time without doing anything. She likes media arts, and is interested in doing more with technology.

I'll post some pics of her work.

 

[LLJsmom]

My husband majored as an illustrator. Nowadays, he designs websites and is pretty successful. His coworkers design promotional materials for small to large clients.

My parents were wary because of this (asian parents want you marry a doctor, lawyer or engineer!), but we are living comfortably and saving for a down payment. If your daughter learns how to market herself and succeed in getting clients, it can be a career.

Let’s be honest: without artists, the products that we use would be really ugly and hard to use. The television shows we watch would be incredibly boring. Also, bling wouldn’t be as fun to look at! Art affects everyday life, even if we aren't conscious of it.

I agree. People that are creative, that look at the world a different way, are so crucial, so important to the world and to the progress of human kind. I am very uncreative, so I am especially appreciative of people who are. I think creativity can be employed in every field, and every discipline. Who came up with the idea of Instagram? Facebook? People that are open to new ideas, doing things a new way. Applying creativity to technology, and filling gaps that people didn't even realize were there. I hope I can nurture that and help her acquire the tools so she is not limited. I think technology is very important and I definitely want her to develop some foundational knowledge and skills and then she can use those to let her release her creativity. Anyway...

 

[LLJsmom]

How many of you have art collections?

I really want to buy some art for our house... We finally have a large house in a decent area and some extra funds. Plus with 2021 looking like it’s just going to be 2020 pt 2, it’s highly unlikely we’ll travel or do our planned home improvement project (saving us lots of money). But as someone...

www.pricescope.com

Some of her pieces are posted here.

She did this in her art class by copying a picture on her iPhone.

She said she missed a shadow on the foot.


Here is a pic of the original.

 

[strawrose]

I agree. People that are creative, that look at the world a different way, are so crucial, so important to the world and to the progress of human kind. I am very uncreative, so I am especially appreciative of people who are. I think creativity can be employed in every field, and every discipline. Who came up with the idea of Instagram? Facebook? People that are open to new ideas, doing things a new way. Applying creativity to technology, and filling gaps that people didn't even realize were there. I hope I can nurture that and help her acquire the tools so she is not limited. I think technology is very important and I definitely want her to develop some foundational knowledge and skills and then she can use those to let her release her creativity. Anyway...

I think the fact that you are open minded means you are creative. you think about how best to take care of them, in ways that others may not.
Those paintings are so gorgeous!

 

[LLJsmom]

Its late at night where I am and the verbal part of my brain is tired, so I'll try to answer the best I can.

There are many different career paths and professions open to people who are visually inclined and/or like making or designing things.

Forms of engineering require (or at least are aided by) being able to see three-dimensional form in space and rotate it in one's head.

Like @Polabowla said, graphic design and desktop publishing (designing ads and magazine layouts, etc) is its own career path. There's film and set design. Interior design (my mom's an interior designer so I can answer questions about that career if you are interested.)

There's also art historian, and art theorist (yes that exists.) Art teacher and art professor.

I trained for awhile in landscape architecture/design and almost went into that field before my painting career took off. Landscape architecture combines a visual aptitude plus a love of science and the outdoors (you have to also study botany and soil science and be able to at least pass chemistry, etc.)

Video game design is a really big field and pays very well. If she likes techie stuff, then she may be interested in that.

And yes, people can make a living out of just painting, drawing or sculpting. But it is a road that isn't always easy and it requires a lot of training and hard work. (Contrary to popular belief, people aren't born knowing how to do it, even those who show an early aptitude still require a LOT of training.)

When exposing your daughter to art training, remember that the quality of the teacher/teaching varies significantly. Never just assume local teachers are good or even know what the heck they are talking about. Many do more harm than good, instilling bad habits and misinformation. (Think about the BS many Pricescopers are told about diamonds if they walk into a Kay Jewelry store -- absolute rubbish. Same is true in the art world.) I know it is probably unnerving to hear that. For example, those "Pinots & Pallets" type places are absolute junk and have absolutely nothing to do with real painting and the people running them have zero training or knowledge of the professional art world.

I have lots more thoughts, but I'm going to have to sign off for now as its late and I'm totally exhausted from being in my studio all day.

Phew this is a lot. Hmmm... Let me digest this and come back with some questions. Thank you @RunningwithScissors

 

[LilAlex]

Drew a lot as a kid. Thought about incorporating it into a career. Glad I didn't. Not a great career, even if you're good. But it's a great hobby and it enriches life. And it helps you appreciate other visual arts. For example, one musician kid has a much more nuanced appreciation of music than I do. We may like similar music, but he hears and appreciates different elements. Visual arts are the same way.

Mostly what you need is: 1) stuff for drawing (pens, pencils, charcoal, pastels, etc.); and 2) down time. There is no more down time -- everyone spends their spare time on their phone now. If I were a kid today, I probably wouldn't draw at all.

Edit: Graphic design is artistic but it is not the same as "art." It is a tech-heavy, youth-oriented, market-driven, soul-sucking enterprise. Or so say the graphic design professionals I know -- and I get it. It's like painting for the Medicis -- it's a paycheck but it's not doing what you love.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Drew a lot as a kid. Thought about incorporating it into a career. Glad I didn't. Not a great career, even if you're good. But it's a great hobby and it enriches life. And it helps you appreciate other visual arts. For example, one musician kid has a much more nuanced appreciation of music than I do. We may like similar music, but he hears and appreciates different elements. Visual arts are the same way.

Mostly what you need is: 1) stuff for drawing (pens, pencils, charcoal, pastels, etc.); and 2) down time. There is no more down time -- everyone spends their spare time on their phone now. If I were a kid today, I probably wouldn't draw at all.

That makes me sad
my high school had a great art dept
I didn't do it but i had freinds who did
they worked in all kinds of mediums

 

[LLJsmom]

Drew a lot as a kid. Thought about incorporating it into a career. Glad I didn't. Not a great career, even if you're good. But it's a great hobby and it enriches life. And it helps you appreciate other visual arts. For example, one musician kid has a much more nuanced appreciation of music than I do. We may like similar music, but he hears and appreciates different elements. Visual arts are the same way.

Mostly what you need is: 1) stuff for drawing (pens, pencils, charcoal, pastels, etc.); and 2) down time. There is no more down time -- everyone spends their spare time on their phone now. If I were a kid today, I probably wouldn't draw at all.

Edit: Graphic design is artistic but it is not the same as "art." It is a tech-heavy, youth-oriented, market-driven, soul-sucking enterprise. Or so say the graphic design professionals I know -- and I get it. It's like painting for the Medicis -- it's a paycheck but it's not doing what you love.

Thank you for your reply. It's an interesting perspective. I do have a couple of cousins that were quite artistic but never pursued art or incorporated it into their careers. Just because you enjoy it does not mean you need to make a life out of it. One became PhD molecular biologist and another a PA. I don't know what the right approach or viewpoint to take is. Do I just let my daughter drive it?

 

[LilAlex]

Do I just let my daughter drive it?

No wrong answers. I think it's like being good with languages or a great athlete -- always nice to have in your back pocket but maybe not what defines you or your career.

My folks admired what I did but I used my own few dollars to buy any and all art supplies over the years. If my kids were as talented as yours, I would get them some decent stuff, little by little. Big set of Prismacolors. Some fine-line pens for pen-and-ink type stuff. Pastels, charcoal, Conte crayons. (OK, well we did most of that for our kids.) Take her to an art supply store like Dick Blick, etc.

Our Mom had an ancient set of hard pastels (not oil pastels) that we all used forever -- but never asked why she had them. She was terrific at drawing but I didn't know that for decades. She wanted to recover a faded couch and couldn't decide on the color -- so she randomly made a perfect pastel rendering of the entire room while we kids were at school one day. We stumbled across it by accident -- and all of our jaws dropped.

 

[Polyhex]

Product designers are absolutely crucial in tech fields and they are typically classified as an engineering role which means the work is lucrative. Tech companies usually want designers to have degrees in Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Visual Design, or Information Design. It's a great way of combining interest in art and technology.

 

[molinePDG]

I'll toss my hat into the ring, with the caveat that it's just opinion, so take with as much salt as necessary

I have some personal experience with this - I graduated high school and got into many art schools (and started at one, though it wasn't my dream school), and eventually dropped out of a fine arts program. So, all of my perspective comes from the fine arts side, though it is the case that there are plenty of technology and art positions out there.

I have had times in my life where I was doing no art and working a job that made me so busy that I never got to do anything artistic. It's miserable.

I have had times in my life where I was doing only art (professional photography) and trying to live off of it -- equally, if not more, miserable (to me).

Now, I'm at a point in my life where I both work a "real" job (teaching) and also an "art" job (being jewelry trade, designing). By far the happiest of the three I have experienced. I get extra fun money to make the art self-sufficient and I also have another source of steady income to fall back on when the art stuff isn't paying the bills, and there will always be a point at which art won't pay all the bills. Having this setup means I don't have to be crying in the corner, needing to book one more photography session to eat next month (a feeling that I've known).


I agree with your post's thoughts about pursuing "strictly art." There is a huge difference between loving to make and do art and making extra income from it, and trying to make art your ONLY income. I find the second to be stressful and unbearable but everyone's mileage may vary. When art becomes work and how you feed yourself, a lot of the love of doing it gets lost. Maybe that makes me an untrue artist, but it's my experience. The advantage to having both is that, hopefully, as you mix the steady job with the art job, the art job eventually becomes so successful that you can move to doing that full time, which happens with plenty of people.

Finally, the question I would consider your daughter to mull over as she progresses -- is her love in doing and making art, or is her love in knowing and studying art? Both are perfectly legitimate. When I went to art school, my just-barely-out-of-high-school self didn't know there was a difference between doing art and studying art. I love doing art - making and designing jewelry, studio photography, so many things. I despise studying art - I have no love for ancient art history, artistic critique process, or knowing mediums that I have no desire to ever work in, which are all part of an art school experience. I entered art school knowing that I loved and was good at a few particular kinds of art, and felt miserable in art school because I was forced to take classes in all mediums - ones that I sucked at and had no interest in taking further and ultimately degraded my artistic self-esteem because I couldn't succeed at the other mediums and wasn't able to use the ones I was good at for the classes.

Art is an amazing thing and can take you on so many paths -- after all, it brought me right here to PriceScope and into the jewelry trade.

 

[Cerulean]

@LLJsmom

I think you are asking the right questions and being very thoughtful. Really, it is touching.

Both of my parents are artists and got MFAs from top art schools. Both tried to pursue it professionally in a few domains (art restoration, textile design, book illustration, photography, painting, etc.). My mother left art-related fields a long time ago...is now a financial writer. She describes being able to use her artistic / creative skills everyday and has no regrets about her MFA.

Although neither of them work professionally as artists, they still make art, and it enriches their lives in a substantial way. They were supportive of art as a hobby (I went to camps, took AP art, went on art history trips through school), but neither were thrilled that I wanted to go to art school, and were not supportive. They had the impression that it would be a career dead-end and didn't want me to struggle like they did. Their fears were not my experience at all, but I had to pave my own way.

I went to the School of the Art Institute for my BFA, studied painting / art theory and am now getting my M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction. There are a lot of amazing things you can do with an art degree, that aren't in the art industry. I work in healthcare technology as an information architect. I have learned how to tell my story, and bring a level of creativity, self-discipline and curiosity that was absolutely cultivated by my artistic background and pave my career in relatively uncharted territory. My artistic bent has been a strength in every single professional interview, and I take risks and have skills that many of my colleagues do not, which makes me a unique candidate. Some companies value diversity of thought. I wouldn't worry if she applies to art school - that she will be stuck. She may have to work a bit harder, but my experience has strengthened me tremendously.

I have taken a long hiatus from my painting, but it is still a part of who I am and I know there will be periods of my life where I am deeply interested in my art, and periods where I am not. I am not relying on it for income, which is frankly a relief for me. I have many friends who are professional artists (sculptural, performance, painting, etc.) with varying degrees of success. I would consider some of them exceptionally talented, one in particular who has had work shown and acquired by world-renowned museums and I help her write her grant applications. But it is a struggle, and she lives grant to grant and is comfortable living in austerity. I also think with COVID-19 the way art is shown and sold is going to transform. To me, if your daughter has any aspirations to be a professional artist...I would go to only the top schools and nothing less. Unfortunately it is extremely competitive for burgeoning artists and you have to be tenacious, establish mentors, communicate well verbally and written, be good at networking...or have a strong financial support system while you stumble through. You have to want it badly. This is from what I have seen so I am generalizing. But I digress...

I will just say that other people have given you great advice. Continue being supportive, let her find some of her own path. Parents can foster and facilitate (classes, etc.) but she will have to find out whether or not she has the interest or passion to go to art school or pursue it more deeply than she is. It was hard work. You can only give her some of the tools she needs...if you haven't, you could help her set up a studio with art supplies. But she has to be interested. You can lead a horse to water....

My only regret in all of my experience, was that I didn't take STEM classes, and have discovered too late that I love math and science. I would push her to diversify her thinking and knowledge where she can. I wanted to get a MS in Data Science, and although I got into a top program, it would have been too tall a mountain to climb because I had taken no foundational classes.

 

[Tartansparkles]

I have friends who graduated from the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) and let's just say, they are not well off. My own DD (14) also wants to go to art school, I am not 100% keen so we compromised over her choice of school subjects to ensure she had some maths, computing and social sciences. My own worry would be that the pressure to be successful as an 'artist' would detract from the joy of being artistic. But you have given your DD some wonderful opportunities. We did enrol DD in a GSA summer school for film make-up, she loved it, the other passengers on the train home, not so much! (She had boils and pimples one day and graduated onto oozing flesh wounds the next.)

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Bahahahaha
As a mother of a 6 year old daughter who is also artistically inclined I thought you were asking of ideas for arts & crafts during covid for your young child! I was like ooh I got some ideas!!

 

[LLJsmom]

Dear @stracci2000 , @Daisys and Diamonds , @strawrose , @RunningwithScissors , @Polabowla , @LilAlex , @Polyhex , @molinePDG , @Cerulean , @Tartansparkles , @TheGarnetGirl

Thank you everyone for sharing your opinion and experience and suggestions. I really appreciate that each person's experience is unique and deeply personal, and runs the gamut of practicing artist to application in non-art fields.

I think my biggest concern is whether I am doing the right thing to develop her creative skills. It does not matter to me whether she pursues art in higher education or as a career. So far, she has not expressed a desire to be an "artist". She says she gets to relax when she takes her art classes so I want her to just continue to enjoy it. I greatly admire creative people. They have the courage to show the world who they are by what they create, develop the confidence to look at situations and come up with creative solutions that are not limited by conventional thinking, make decisions based on their own judgment and are brave enough to withstand the criticism that comes with it. It's a way of thinking. It's a state of mind. @Cerulean , thank you for sharing your journey in detail. Like you, I am hoping that my daughter can use her creativity in blazing her own path. It seems technology has provided people with the tools to create and problem solve in ways not available to previous generations. I am requiring her to take all the upper level math, science, and technology classes, so she can even develop the foundation to maybe create her own interdisciplinary major in college, and apply her creative background to traditionally "non-art" fields.

Ok, yes, thank you to you all. This is helping me wrap my head around art as a discipline, but really I think I am thinking about nurturing her creativity. I don't want to pressure her, and I want her to continue to love it and let it be her happy place.

Thank you again so much. And if anyone wants to share more, I am appreciative of all view points and experiences.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Dear @stracci2000 , @Daisys and Diamonds , @strawrose , @RunningwithScissors , @Polabowla , @LilAlex , @Polyhex , @molinePDG , @Cerulean , @Tartansparkles , @TheGarnetGirl

Thank you everyone for sharing your opinion and experience and suggestions. I really appreciate that each person's experience is unique and deeply personal, and runs the gamut of practicing artist to application in non-art fields.

I think my biggest concern is whether I am doing the right thing to develop her creative skills. It does not matter to me whether she pursues art in higher education or as a career. So far, she has not expressed a desire to be an "artist". She says she gets to relax when she takes her art classes so I want her to just continue to enjoy it. I greatly admire creative people. They have the courage to show the world who they are by what they create, develop the confidence to look at situations and come up with creative solutions that are not limited by conventional thinking, make decisions based on their own judgment and are brave enough to withstand the criticism that comes with it. It's a way of thinking. It's a state of mind. @Cerulean , thank you for sharing your journey in detail. Like you, I am hoping that my daughter can use her creativity in blazing her own path. It seems technology has provided people with the tools to create and problem solve in ways not available to previous generations. I am requiring her to take all the upper level math, science, and technology classes, so she can even develop the foundation to maybe create her own interdisciplinary major in college, and apply her creative background to traditionally "non-art" fields.

Ok, yes, thank you to you all. This is helping me wrap my head around art as a discipline, but really I think I am thinking about nurturing her creativity. I don't want to pressure her, and I want her to continue to love it and let it be her happy place.

Thank you again so much. And if anyone wants to share more, I am appreciative of all view points and experiences.

Your daughter is obviously talented so i don't in anyway compair her to me

As a teenager i learnt piano for many years
i wasn't very good and didn't practice enough but it did give me musical appreciation something im greatful for to this day
i do not think anytime spent in the pursuit of any kind of art is wasted

I did not become a concert pianist and that's ok
Some times we need to just do stuff because we enjoy it

 

[LLJsmom]

Your daughter is obviously talented so i don't in anyway compair her to me

As a teenager i learnt piano for many years
i wasn't very good and didn't practice enough but it did give me musical appreciation something im greatful for to this day
i do not think anytime spent in the pursuit of any kind of art is wasted

I did not become a concert pianist and that's ok
Some times we need to just do stuff because we enjoy it

I love this Daisys. I agree. I was forced to take piano as a kid, and really did not like it although I love music. I am the most lax mom with my son and his piano and guitar playing. I let him learn whatever he wants, off youtube, with his piano teacher, etc. I hear him singing and yodeling away, and I wince and sometimes plug my ears, happily, and hope music in whatever format he desires gives him joy. He's no Beethoven but he's happy.

 

[molinePDG]

Your daughter's art shows a lot of talent, variety, and clear skill in lots of different ways!

I think the best thing that you could do to continue nurturing her and her skills is, well, just that -- encourage her to try out different mediums, do art when she feels like it and don't when she doesn't. Art can be just as taxing as it is relaxing, so it's important for any art-lover or art-parent to remember that sometimes the special magic just isn't there - with any art of performance.

One thing I wish I had been encouraged to do more was make personal connections with artists that you admire and whose work you appreciate and emulate.

Have her get in touch with faculty from art schools, even if she doesn't have any desire to go to an art school. If she likes watercolors, for example, get in touch with a professor who specializes in that area and see if the professor, themselves, or any students under them want to meet for a lesson or a chat - if that's something your daughter might enjoy.

I wish I had taken more specific classes in lots of different areas. I found one area I really liked with a teacher I admired, and I did a lot of learning from that teacher. It was good, and I am glad I did, but it also left me with somewhat of a skills deficit in other mediums that I later found I really enjoyed.

Some of the best art lessons/mentorship that you can find are in colleges, especially broke master's students who do very inexpensive lessons for the level of talent that they possess.

If you have a local community college, sign up for an art class there too.

It's important to focus on artists just as much as the art, itself. Your daughter will find what type of artists she enjoys being around, and she can decide who is "her people." - I wish I had taken advantage of opportunities to meet people when I could, but I was very shy!

Somewhat rambling, but just throwing some more thoughts out there