March is Youth Art Month. There are many ways that art and creativity can benefit our youth. Think of how you can mentor a youth in building their creativity and appreciation of art. Consider a car donation to Orange County Big Brothers Big Sisters in California and help change a child’s future for the better.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County CA is part of the nation’s largest mentoring organization, making meaningful matches between children and adult volunteers. This provides young people facing adversity with enduring and strong, professional supported relationships that impact their lives for the better. Their vision is for all children to achieve success in life.
One way to help our youth is mentoring them through art and creativity. Art is a beneficial tool for interpreting, discovering and exploring our world.
The Arts Create Lasting Memories
Do you remember as a child when you first opened a box of crayons? Perhaps you saw all the colors and felt a huge possibility of combinations and creating? So many of our memories with creating are joyful times. Whether is was constructing something monumental with Legos, the giddy sensation of finger painting, or the pride you felt when your parents visited the school and your art was displayed for them to see. These ingrained artistic memories can last our whole lives, and often have been the mending balm that healed us when everything else in our lives was crumbling apart. The act of creating something new built our self-esteem and taught us problem-solving skills.
The Arts Help Develop Skills
Creative and critical thinking, motor skills, sharing, negotiating, hand-eye coordination, social skills, and taking turns are just a sample of real-life skills a child will learn when involved with the arts. When a child is creating something, whether is drawing, painting, music, acting, building, etc; they are making a connection to a subject which deepens their thinking through their creative response. Given that time to complete something they have invested their creative energies in, they learn persistence and creative problem-solving skills. The process of creating will inspire them to think at a new level.
The Arts Increase a Sense of Belonging
When you enroll your child in a community arts program or class, you introduce your child to new experiences and new people. This spurs your child to participate in creative and social activities while feeling included in a larger community. Developing interpersonal skills and friendship along with trust are learned in this way.
Learning about art and building the creative process is critical in building a child’s self-esteem. Talk to your child, or the young person you are mentoring and learn where their creative interests are, then provide opportunities and resources for them to grow and thrive. Donating an old car to charity like Big Brothers and Big Sisters is another way to support youth in learning the arts.
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