How to Talk about Art

Interestingly enough, with some experience in childhood development, I've been struggling with finding the time and patience to refrain from just saying, "good job" when a kiddo comes up to me and shows me their work. It's almost become this knee-jerk reaction to just say "good job" and move on with the other duties of the day, especially while I've been working in the schools. "Oh good job, good job, good work today, wow, good job!" can probably be heard ringing throughout school halls all day, every day. And I am just as guilty as the next.

But, because I know better, I need to start doing better. 

When you respond with "good job" you are merely telling that kiddo, "oh, I like your work." And let's be honest with ourselves, when was the last time we said "good job," actually meant it, and didn't follow up with something else because we were so impressed? Saying "good job" has become the equivalent of saying "fine" when someone asks how you are doing , or "bless you" when someone sneezes. It takes no forethought, and it's become insincere and disingenuous. I've noticed that my students have started to walk away feeling unappreciated when I've brushed them off so quickly and some don't even ask me to look at what they've done.

Instead of saying "good job" about a child's art, whether you're a parent or a teacher, try one of these 5 phrases to instead start a conversation with your child. Not only will this show your kiddo that you appreciate them and relish in their victories with them, but that you appreciate the hard work that goes into being creative rather than the actual finished product. And who knows, along the way your kiddo might learn some other life lessons as well.

1. How _____ (creative, vibrant, interesting)! Tell me about the colors you used!

Asking a child to tell you about the colors they used not only opens you up to their process, but it also makes them reflect on their own work.

In fact, this last week a sweetheart of a 3 year old showed me her most recent artwork and to be honest, it looked like a giant red blob on a page. I was in the middle of cleaning up, and to be even more honest, I felt like having a conversation with her about her work was a waste of my time. However, I decided to revert my perspective and think about how this little 3 year old must be feeling. It is her first time painting and she has specifically chosen me to share in her joy of creation. 

When I asked her to tell me about the colors she used, she looked at me and told me about how she started with yellow and slowly added more red to the painting until all of a sudden, like magic, the picture was ORANGE! Can you believe that?! Then she told me how she kept adding more red and soon her picture became RED! She was so excited to tell me about her process and what is more important, is she was also working on figuring out how colors can be mixed to form a new color. 

If I had only said "good job," I would have not known about the work and effort she put into painting her red blob. How would I have known that she started with yellow? I would have had no idea the time it took her to paint what otherwise looked like distorted red ball. Asking her to tell me about the colors she used, when I honestly thought that there was only red, let me know about her process and gave me the opportunity to talk with her about how she mixed colors. I was able to lead her to her next creative venture where she said that she is going to mix other colors to see what happens. 

And I'll let you in on another little secret, I was still able to clean the entire time she was telling me about her painting.

2. Tell me all about it! 

Asking a child to tell you what they painted, rather than labeling their creation allows them to take ownership of their work.

Going back to my red blob, sweetheart 3 year old example, I could have easily said, "Wow! You painted a red ball! Good job!" and moved on with my life. But imagine how altering that would have been if she had not, in fact, painted a red ball. I've just told her that I think she did a good job, but only if she painted a red ball. 

By asking them to tell you all about it, they can describe to you every detail they've added to their work. It gives them the ability to tell you exactly what they've painted and why they added it. It lets them self-reflect on their work and as they are telling you what they've done, they will probably make a few executive decisions about their next work of art, too. 

3. What do you like most about your work? Why?

Asking a child to identify what they like most about their work and why is critical to their self-evaluation. When you tell a child "good job" over and over, you are putting emphasis and acclaim on that one piece rather than on their effort or determination to produce. Not all children are going to be amazing artists, but they can have amazing self-esteem about their work if we show them that we care about what they liked and what they did. Again, not all children are going to be amazing artists, but they can be amazing hard-workers, amazingly determined to finish a project, or amazingly patient when the going gets tough. And isn't that more important than a perfect drawing?

By having a child self-reflect in this way, you are having them build themselves up before you ever put your two cents in. They are able to analyze their work and determine what they like most and why. Perhaps they liked the tree in their drawing best because it looks like a real tree, or they like the house the best because it took the most time to paint. Maybe the cat is the best because it is pink! Either way, follow up on what they say with a statement like, "That must have taken you a long time to draw!" or "I can see you spent a lot of time/put in a lot of effort on that!" By making these statements, you are solidifying the fact that you appreciate their process more than the finished product.

4. What else could you add to your work?

By asking your kids what else they could add to their work, you are instilling in them the ideal that work isn't always finished just because we've put color all over the page or filled the space we were working with. There can always be details added. Colors, lines, shapes, even people or animals can be added to a drawing. Think of one of the most rudimentary drawings: the family in front of the house. They could add a tree, plants, the sun, the family pet, the car, actual details of your home, details on the people, clothing on the people. Their additions could be perfectly logical or outlandish. 

Having your child reflect on what they can add will help them to also reflect on their work and think about what is missing. Even if they don't know what else they could add, this will still help them start thinking about how their work could have more or could be more. 

5. What are you going to do next? 

After talking with your kiddo about their work, ask them this extremely important question: "What's next?" Artistry, determination, and perseverance don't come through doing something once and being satisfied. They come from doing hard things over and over. Asking this question will get your child's gears turning for their next big project. 

Maybe they don't know what is up next. The important thing is to encourage them to keep working and being creative. Even if they don't grow up to become an artist, I can't think of a single job or task in this world that would not benefit from even the smallest amount of creativity. Provide them the time and the materials, even if they don't know what to do. Encourage them to just go for it, even if there isn't a perfect mock-up of their future work. Challenge them to begin thinking about what they are going to do next. Even my little 3 year old, with her red blob, could come up with a game plan for her next creative venture.