Why you should waste more paper

Creating.

You just gotta create more. Way more.

You want to see your child’s skills grow?

They’ve got to make more.

Time spent in art classes, studying, learning, etc…that’s a huge help…but nothing can replace the act of creating itself.

Simple, right?

Well...just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. 

Here’s the problem….

Staring at a blank page can be intimidating. 😱

The hardest part is getting started.

How do we get the image we’ve dreamed up inside our head onto the page? Where do we even start?

Once we start, it's sort of like we're committed to this thing, there’s no turning back now. and some of us feel more comfortable letting the image live in our head instead of taking a risk, trying to bring it to life, and failing.

Better to avoid failure altogether, we convince ourselves.

(How many unfulfilled dreams are you afraid to take action on, parent?)

So we stop creating.

Plus, we’re so scared of ruining that beautiful blank paper!

But that thinking needs to go.

The idea that the act of creation can waste paper can really stunt a young artist’s creativity. So kids should draw wildly and recklessly, and let their imagination run wild on the paper or canvas.

But here’s the next problem….

We all know paper and art supplies cost money! 😫

If you draw a lot, as you should, the expenses could really add up!

But here’s how I solve that problem….

I think of my drawing paper in two buckets:

1. My sketching paper—This is the paper I use in all of my classes! 😎 This is the paper I use for day to day drawing. It’s so extremely affordable that I never have to worry about “wasting” paper. This paper is the key to putting in the reps. Watch this video I made on my favorite, most affordable type of sketching paper.
   
   Here’s the link if you’d like purchase some for your child.
   
   
2. My fancy paper—My fancy paper is for when I’ve got a planned illustration I want to bring to life. I use this paper when I know what I want to make, and I’m going to ink it, color it, or maybe frame it or sell it. (You can click here to see some of my favorite types of “fancy paper”).

When your child knows that there is abundance of paper to be marked with their imagination, they’ll be more encouraged to create.

The hardest part of drawing is just getting started.

What’s your child going to create this spring? You can click the links above to set them up for plenty of drawing success.

Stay creative,
Daniel