Having creative confidence is trusting and valuing each and every one of your ideas and taking creative risks. In the Art Studio this is goal #1 – to instill creative confidence in every visitor that walks through the door – no matter what the project is, what medium we are exploring, or what collaborative project we are constructing.
Each month there will be a new idea posted about how to instill creative confidence in children at home and in the classroom posted by myself and other museum educators.
Idea 3 – Create a space to display your child’s art work.
“How children’s first expressions, no matter how primitive, are treated will determine, in part, how children feel about themselves and how freely and fully they will be able to express themselves through a variety of media in the future. When children know their ideas and their work are valued, they are affirmed.”
-Carol Seefeldt, Creating Rooms of Wonder
Children are creating all the time! In the Art Studio I see adults that want to save everything, anything their child makes. I also see lots of conveniently left behind art work on the drying rack, and everything in-between. My guess is there are many different factors involved in making this choice, one of them being already having a box full of art work at home or in your classroom that you’re not sure what to do with. As an artist and educator and someone that had parents that didn’t save anything, I sure wish I could see what I was drawing, painting, sculpting at age 3, 6, 10, and 12!
There are tons of creative ideas out there about ways to have a functional, good looking display area for your children’s art work. As Carol Seefeldt states “…when children know that their ideas and their work are valued, they are affirmed.” I have seen many a kindergarten teacher have a display area with clipboards for each one of their students, where each month they put up a new self portrait created by that student – it’s amazing to see the changes and growth from month to month. This sort of experience allows children to reflect and to know that their work is valued as something that should be seen by others.
I hope you feel inspired to set up a display area in your home, classroom, or office to honor your child’s creativity! Instill some confidence.
For some fun ideas visit:
http://www.makeandtakes.com/5-ways-to-organize-and-display-your-childs-artwork
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/hang-kids-art-on-a-curtain-rod-92852
To learn more from Carol Seefeldt, visit: Creating Rooms of Wonder 
http://ww2.usj.edu/syc/docs/professional-development/displays-of-childrens-art.pdf
Marie LeBaron shared some great articles on her blog: Make and Takes (link is above), about what to do with all the papers, school work and art work your children bring home, check them out:
- What to do with Kids Artwork by Simple Mom
- 12 Things to do with Kids Art by Cozi
- Keeping Kids Artwork by Babyminding
- What to do with Kid Art by Parents Magazine
- 5 Ways to Organize and Display Kids Art by Make and Takes
The Power of Play 
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