ARTFUL PARENTING
HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR TEEN’S ARTISTIC PASSIONS When a teenager is involved in sports, it’s easy to show support for their passion. You take them to practice, go to their games, celebrate their victories, and help them learn from their losses. But what if your teen is more into arts than athletics? Without a literal sideline to cheer from, helping your child grow and develop in fields like writing, painting, and photography can feel — well, abstract. But make no mistake, parents can show concrete support in a few ways to help their budding artist grow and excel in the arts.
Stars to Strive For Just as many young athletes have star players they look up to and try to emulate on the field, aspiring artists can look to those making waves in their artistic fields today. Often, school courses focus on “the classics,” which can just feel like homework to an aspiring artist. This is where you can help. Introduce the work of contemporary artists to your teen, or better yet, give your teen opportunities to discover them on their own. Trips to museums and libraries can be just as impactful on growing artists as going to a ball game. No. 1 Fan You may not have to drive your high schooler to writing practice, but you can still give them the tools and support they need to hone their passion. The most obvious way is by asking to see their writing or art, but keep in mind many teens may not be willing to share something that personal. Still, reminding them you’re genuinely interested in their work can help them stick with their passion. Indirect gestures like buying them quality art supplies can also show them you value their craft. Cover article continued ... becomes, “I can turn this all around.” The check might have been fake, but the impact it had on changing this man’s schema was very, very real. Now, most of us will never have an old man walk up and offer to write us a $1 million check, so how do you overcome the challenge of changing your perspective? Start by visualizing your future. Not the version of your future that your negative schema has already painted for you, but the fully achievable future in which you realize your goals. Setting those goals is the first step.
The Big Leagues Sure, there’s no varsity watercolor portrait team, but student artists can strive for important milestones. School clubs like student newspapers can provide a semiprofessional outlet for young artists, and there are myriad creative outlets outside the classroom as well. Community galleries, youth anthologies, coffee shop open mics — these are all amazing opportunities for your teen to take their work to the next level. Just as most teen athletes won’t be professional players, you don’t have to expect your artist to be the next Ursula K. Le Guin or Banksy. Whatever their interests are, helping your child explore their passions and enjoy a discipline will leave them with skills and memories they’ll draw upon the rest of their life. I’m not suggesting that any of this is easy. Changing your habits, rewiring your brain, and transforming your schema takes time and a whole lot of effort. Trust me. I know from personal experience. But I also know that putting in this effort is worth it. You’re not stuck. No matter where you are in life or how long you’ve been there, you are not stuck in that place forever. Using the power of your mind to form new habits and rituals, you can change your life. This isn’t just nice talk. Scientific research not only shows that you can change your schema but also that you should! The traits that define your life today don’t have to define your life tomorrow. If you’ve never read “Unlocking Greatness,” I cannot recommend it enough. Charlie Harary is a brilliant guy. His strategies can really help anyone who is ready to take steps toward becoming the greater person they want to be. reality and begin to create a new schema and road map for your life.
Without goals, you have nothing to work toward. In order to identify your true goals, Harary created a series of exercises. One exercise is to write your own eulogy, including what you hope people will say at your own funeral. Another is to create a schedule for your ideal day in a far-off future. This helps you to visualize what you truly want to be. I plan on doing these exercises myself and am really
looking forward to the outcome. When you visualize your future, you interrupt your current
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