Creativity is a Toddler

Cornstarch Paint Palette

 Paintbrush to tile

 Mixing Colour

 Boot Prints

 Paintbrush to sand-table

 (Painter pauses to discover drying cornstarch)

 Garden soil mixed with paint

 Baby Profile (because this is art at it's finest!)

Room with a View 

(Shanghai's Famous Pearl Tower)

We could all learn a little something from toddlers; do not fear your creative side!

As an adult, when I paint, I forget to let the painting evolve. I sketch a plan and add or omit as I see fit, but I very rarely veer from my original plan and open myself to free-flowing creativity. I often fear or forget to add elements that would be outside the box, create an extra mess or steer far away from my goal. How sad! Creativity is a process that should be evolving all of the time, without inhibition!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of presenting O with my first batch of SUCCESSFUL homemade paint. I used a recipe for cornstarch 'chalk' paint I found on Domestic Charm (through Pinterest) http://domesticcharm.blogspot.com/2011/05/liquid-sidewalk-chalk.html. 

Then I watched closely as O allowed the three colours to evolve naturally according to her thought process (or what I assume was her thought process!)

Lovely!

I just took pictures and did not add any input or comments.

She had a great time and took her job of being creative very seriously!

EXPAND ON CREATIVITY

Photography! O is so comfy with having her picture taken, she is now a pro about how to point and shoot! We have an older camera that has died, so she always asks for this one to 'take pictures'. I read a great post yesterday from Crayon Freckles about giving your kids access to the (real and working) camera; IF YOU GIVE YOUR KID A CAMERA (taken from the popular story If You Give A Mouse A Cookie) http://www.crayonfreckles.com/2012/09/if-you-give-kid-camera.html