hsingscrapper Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I've been wondering, with a boy who doesn't color, is there an artistic glitch we all fit into or am I being too optimistic? I guess I think there's something we should all be good at that gives us a creative outlet and brings us joy whether or not we make a career out of it. It is it possible for someone to not have this or have I just not found it, yet? Or is it my son's "job" to find it within himself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 If you are looking for something that brings joy, then it needs to come from inside and it doesn't matter how good or bad one is at it. Remember something that may seem creative to one may look different to another. My dd likes to take random things from around the house and turn them into something else. My ds10 and I like to put on music and sing along. Ds15 likes to mess in the kitchen. Ds5 likes to make messes, period. But I expect that to change as he gets older. When Ds15 was little, he hating coloring or anything like that, but has always liked food. Just experiment, your son will find the thing that brings him joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Creativity isn't always artistic pursuit.... sometimes it's problem solving when everyone else is totally frustrated someitmes it's inventing a way to use or do something better sometimes it's designing a new building or stucture sometimes it's communicating well with others when those others are difficult to communicate with sometimes it's coming up with a totally new programming code for computers sometimes it's seeing something no one else did sometimes it's written words and their use sometimes it's using math creatively (and no, not creative accounting!) sometimes it's teaching others how to do something no one else seems to be able to teach them Yeah, some will color the character in their coloring book with hair green and call it creativity, but being creative is so much more than that! ....creativity is seeing things in a different way, new ways, or ways not thought of before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 DS hates to color. But he loves art history and visiting art galleries and will talk about works of art all day, if you let him. He is also very musically gifted. Just hates to color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Maybe he would prefer something three dimensional. My DS does like to color, but he also likes taping together elaborate combinations of paper towel tubes, scraps of fabric, cut up Amazon boxes, sticks from the yard -- you name it, he will find an "artistic" use for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I've been thinking about this for awhile now. My oldest did not like to color. Several people on these boards suggested that having him color was necessary to strengthen his hand muscles. It's only been a few months, but I can definitely tell there's a HUGE difference in his abilities. I doubt he'll ever want to color for hours and hours, but he can do it. Secondly, my DH has some natural talent for drawing and painting. He's wanted to develop this talent over the years but has only recently found time to work on it. I wish I had encouraged him earlier; it is pretty amazing. My best friend's husband is in the animation program at BYU. Their admission to the program is based on their sketch book. I was completely shocked when she told me that he wasn't all that great of a drawer when he decided he want to go into animation, but through lots and lots of practice he became skilled enough to make it. So yes, it's possible you haven't found his "thing" yet. It's possible that coloring and visual arts may never be his thing. But no matter what creative routes his interests take him, there will be a lot of work, practice and failure involved. No one becomes a master at anything because they automatically do in perfectly; they become a master because they keep trying even when they make mistakes and they learn from those mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 My DD hates to colour - whenever she gets a workbook that says "colour the correct item" she will just circle it instead. However she is an art/craft addict. She spends hours and hours everyday drawing, crafting, designing etc etc -just not colouring :) On the other hand my DS loves to colour but he doesn't really like doing any other artsy stuff unless it is initiated by me. Liking to colour has no bearing really on whether a person is "creative" or not and I agree there are more ways to be creative then just being "artsy". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 My 12 yob has always disliked art projects... coloring... drawing. He just isn't very good at it, since he has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and writing is difficult. He has a fabulous imagination. He is very good at taking small figures and making up stories. Since he doesn't write very well (mechanically speaking, as in penmanship and getting his thoughts all out on paper), he has been taught to use web planners on the computer and word processors. Most of the time, though, he is simply wandering around with figures, making up stories.... At least he used to do that a lot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 My DD hates to colour - whenever she gets a workbook that says "colour the correct item" she will just circle it instead. However she is an art/craft addict. She spends hours and hours everyday drawing, crafting, designing etc etc -just not colouring :) On the other hand my DS loves to colour but he doesn't really like doing any other artsy stuff unless it is initiated by me. Liking to colour has no bearing really on whether a person is "creative" or not and I agree there are more ways to be creative then just being "artsy". Many artists hate to color in items. It's actually goes against the grain for many who are gifted artists. They prefer to draw their own lines and would much rather work on another drawing than color in the one they've already made. For people like me who can't draw, coloring in is a lot of fun. :) As has been said, there are so many creative outlets. Help him to try out many different ones to see if there's one he likes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I'm working on a very limited budget and thought he might like to try pottery or something like that. I want to help him figure it out but not sure how to do it without breaking the proverbial bank. What other ideas for a very hands-on kid that cost next to nothing? He's hands-on to the point of mindlessly fidgeting with things until they fall apart but doesn't mean to destroy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Molding clay isn't too expensive and is endlessly reusable. You can also make your own "playdoh" and the ingredients are inexpensive. :) He might even enjoy learning how to make knots - macrame. For the 12yo wood carving might be fun - 8yo might be a little young yet, but it depends. Wood burning is also a great way to "draw" without having to do any coloring. A wood burner isn't too expensive and you can get the wood for free from construction sites, or anywhere pallets are being thrown out, or by asking for scraps from lumber yards, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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