Points to ponder
Why do we parents enroll children in drawing classes?
“He loves to draw and paint and wanted to join.”
“She is good in drawing, so to enhance her skills”.
“He was sitting idle at home, watching TV , at least learn something”
“He loved one class and wants to continue”
“She brings home such beautiful art works that, I feel so proud of sending her there”
“Let her have fun, why to seriously look into it”

I sit here, wondering – what about drawing skills, creativity empowerment and colors, painting, observation, expression etc. etc. etc.
When we select any program, school or classes for a child to learn any skills –learning a language, learning music and dance, we focus on what’s learned and how?

So why in drawing classes, we don’t look at how it is learned but focus on pretty pictures.

When we don’t expect child to write words or sentences in first few learning classes then why do we expect pretty pictures in first few drawing classes.
Why child’s doodle, which is his observation, not taken as stepping stone and why is pretty picture expected?

Why do equate learning of skills like mathematics and language (left brain logical thinking skills) which are with fixed symbols expressing fixed thing.
A symbol of “A ” with slanting line and sleeping line expresses A only and child’s left logical brain processes information to express “A “.
Drawing skills are more varied, creative, personal and observational skills with right –brain processing.
Learning it in similar manner, of left brain skills, is doing injustice to oneself as well as skill.
We parents are bigger culprit, who misses the point that learning to observe, learning to express in one way is best give to give to child in name of drawing classes.
We need to be aware of the method used in classes to teach a child rather than going with marketing strategy which uses words like holistic, creative development of children under crippled, handicapped teaching method which is like giving crutches to child which he is scared to loose and never ventures on his own, never trusts his own expression.
By the age 10-12, a child has been robbed of all his authentic creative instincts with art learning methods like these.
No wonder we have so many adults drawing similar looking trees, houses and scenery in name of art.
As parents, we have a choice to make, to trust process of learning of drawing skills and most importantly to trust your child’s creative, observational skills and let them express their own authentic vision unmarred by teaches slanting and sleeping line instructions.