6 Ways Your Kids' Art Can Help Kick-Start Your Creativity

Stuck in a creative rut? To snap out of it, look no further than your kid’s craft corner. To the untrained eye, their squiggly drawings and glitter-smeared canvases might look like child’s play. However, these amateur creations can reignite your imagination, and inspire you to jump headfirst into that work assignment or side project you’ve been putting off. Here are six ways your kids’ art can help kick start your creativity.

1.  KIDS’ ART IS “PLAY”—AND PLAY MAKES YOU MORE CREATIVE.  

Between work, errands, and family obligations, chances are you barely have time to squeeze in a quick workout at the gym, let alone think about carving out a few hours for relaxation. However, experts say that fun, unstructured activities like tossing a Frisbee, gardening, and, yes, making art, are key to improving brain function, stimulating the mind, and boosting creativity.

Too busy for adult “playtime?” Next time you’re spending time with your kids, or babysitting someone else’s, consider picking up a glue stick or some markers and creating your own at-home masterpiece to hang on the refrigerator.

2. KIDS’ ART MAKES YOU SMART. 

Some experts believe that looking at art is kind of like sending your noggin to the gym. Your brain works hard to process a visual work, which, in turn, rewires the organ to become smarter and more imaginative. By admiring your kids’ finger paintings, everyone wins: You’re giving them an ego boost while providing yourself with a much-needed mental boost. 

3. KIDS’ ART TEACHES YOU TO FOCUS ON THE CREATIVE PROCESS. 

If you’re a perfectionist, your fear of failure might hinder your creative flow. Watch your kid make art, and learn from their example: They brainstorm an idea, turn it into a painting or drawing, abandon the work, or finish it and move on. In short, they focus on the act of creation—not the final product. Imagine how many ideas you could brainstorm if you emulated this process, and stopped caring so much about achieving greatness.

4. KIDS’ ART IMPROVES YOUR MOOD.

Kids’ art is inherently joyful. It’s full of vibrant colors, charming mistakes, and creative interpretations of everyday events and objects. By looking at it, you’re instantly put into a good mood. And when you’re in a good mood, scientific research indicates that your own creativity gets a boost.

5. KIDS’ ART FORCES YOU TO LOOK AT THE WORLD IN A NEW LIGHT. 

Kids aren't too concerned with logic while making art. They’ll draw a puppy with pink fur and yellow eyes, or a landscape with a purple sun and an upside-down sky. Take a cue from your kids’ art and make it a point to think about the world in a different way. Once you open yourself up to new ideas, they’ll keep flowing.

6. KIDS’ ART INSPIRES CONFIDENCE.

Never mind if your kid colored outside the lines, or used too much glue. In their own eyes, their latest art project is a masterpiece. Consider adapting this attitude the next time you start on a project or assignment. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to take risks that result in a much more imaginative outcome than if you’d played it meek and safe.