I’ve noticed a pattern when it comes to parents, guardians, and teachers over the years. Simply put, a vast majority are downright scared of teaching children about art! Don’t get me wrong; I can totally understand why they might be a little standoffish. The number one reason being, of course, that the same vast number of people aren’t all that confident in their own artistic talents.

And that’s where I want to step in and shatter the myth.

So you can’t draw? You don’t know anything about painting?

It doesn’t matter! A parent or teacher doesn’t need to be a professional artist to teach their children about art, any more than a English teacher needs to be a published novelist. The whole purpose of introduction – especially at a young age – is not to push out a grade-schooler who’s ready for their first gallery showing. It’s simply to lay the groundwork for more formal studies, and to spark some excitement and engagement in the pursuit of a deeper understanding of art. Okay, so that might sound complicated again, but it’s really not.

I’ll make it simple: you don’t have to be a terrific artist to help create the next Leonardo da Vinci or Melanie Yazzie. You just have to help light the way.

Here’s five really important things to keep in mind as you get started:

1) Art isn’t optional.
Nope! It’s actually quite important to the development of young minds because it stimulates parts of the brain that would go unused otherwise. Art also has another advantage: if studied in detail, art incorporates many other subjects including history, sociology, humanities, math, and writing.

2) There are no wrong answers.
At least, as far as practicing art goes. (If we’re talking about art history, then there are wrong answers!) When it comes to laying down paint, sketching, dancing, or anything else that falls under the creative umbrella, the important ideas are expression, challenge, and exploration.

3) Be courageous and confident.
You may need to stretch your own limits to start teaching about art, but it will be worth it. Be brave in your approach to the subject. Don’t let worries over your own skills or talents stand in the way of a truly important part of education!

4) Be positive.
You already know that you shouldn’t drop negative criticism on a student’s work, but remember not to do that with your own work either! Imagine that you’ve painted something in class to demonstrate a technique to your kids – and then you finish off by saying, “well, this isn’t very good.” Now, what happens when the students try their hardest and see that their own work isn’t as good as yours? They’ll assume that what they’ve made is absolutely awful! This should be avoided, of course. Be positive about your work!

5) Do some studying of your own!
If you need some extra help, there are plenty of great resources out there for art teachers and parents. I invite you to browse through this site, as Nani Nani Kids is dedicated to spreading art and creativity to children all over the world.

Teaching art can seem like a scary prospect, but it doesn’t need to be. A little bit of confidence goes a long way . . . and, as always, the most important step is the first!