Every child an artist?

At school assembly my headmaster read out my name and said I had the lowest mark for Art in the whole school. I got 35%! It was humiliating. I am definitely not an artist. I furiously encouraged my children and my daughter achieved higher art. I love encouraging my wee grandson in his drawing and putting together of cardboard boxes. My fridge is covered with his efforts. No child should be derided for poor ability in anything. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Newnanny - At 9 or 10 we were asked to write a poem about Autumn for homework so I did. Next day the teacher went through them in class with comments but not mine. I saw my book was put aside and began to feel embarrassed that she might be going to praise me too much. Not she! She told me in front of the class that I hadn't written it, that I must have copied it from a book. It was only four lines but scanned and had rhymes. Hardly worth either my shocked humiliation or my loss of respect for her. Next day my DM's note didn't elicit an apology.
I hope I never made a pupil feel like that.

Elrel I was scarred by a couple of teachers. I know that informed my own teaching--having just left the profession, I hope I will be remembered as kind.

I think that creativity, like so many other things in life, goes hand in hand with curiosity. “I wonder what would happen if ...?” “What can I do with this ...?” The biggest crime, in my view is not spending the time with a child in shared exploration...

I read somewhere that most adults are stuck at a 3 year old in terms of Art development due to adults reactions when younger. Creativity comes in all shapes and forms!

I remember my Mum holding up a picture I had drawn for the rest of the family to laugh at when I was about 5. I decided then that I wouldn't draw any more. Now I sometimes draw for my grandson, I think actually I could be reasonably good if I practised. I always encouraged my children and they both took GCSE art.

Neither should parents say 'I was never any good at...' .

Please OP, go easy on us parents and teachers. I've handed out literally millions of enthusiastic well done's, aren't you clever's, how lovely's over the years. Will any of these get remembered? But that one home-truth I gave on a long, wet Thursday afternoon when my back was hurting and the headmaster was on one? That ends up the title of the autobiography.
Look, low self-esteem is rampant among us girlies. (Apologies to all Grandpa's reading this) We pass it on to kids because we have so much of ourselves!

We have mounted and framed a picture that my 9 year old gd did. It hangs in the sitting room and is called Mona Lisa with a fat neck. My gd who is now 22 is pleased as punch and we are hoping it's going to make millions sometime.. She still draws and paints a little now and again,

But don't lose sight of the fact that Picasso's statement was well-intentioned bollocks. Never close a door on a child. Well, not unless she shows an interest in folk dancing or incest. But not everybody has potential to succeed at everything.

But don't lose sight of the fact that Picasso's statement was well-intentioned bollocks. Never close a door on a child. Well, not unless she shows an interest in folk dancing or incest. But not everybody has potential to succeed at everything.

I've never suffered low self-esteem which is just as well considering. At 6 or 7 I'd a teacher who paraded me into every class in my (fortunately small) primary school to hold up my painting of trees (which I was very proud of) and show everyone how bad it was. At 10 I wrote the end of term play, which the whole school performed, and my parents flatly refused to believe it was all my own work. At 11 I was tapped on the shoulder and asked to leave the school choir I'd just joined. At 12 I danced a solo in the school Christmas concert and my parents didn't come to watch because they didn't care for dance. They didn't go in much for fulsome praise in the North East of those days! I should really be a snivelling wreck hiding behind the sofa. Instead of confidently believing I'm okay at stuff really. I'm probably completely deluded.

Our least self-confident child is a graphic designer, so all those lines of dripping paintings strung across the kitchen must have paid off. We still have on display a little bust of an old man, warts and all, that she brought home from school in Y5. It was the spitting image of our neighbour.

I don't think Picasso was speaking 'well-intentioned bollocks.' Idealist yes, but then depends on how you interpret 'artist' I guess. I do think creativity needs nurture.

When I was about 13, the art teacher explained some technique to the class. He looked at me and asked if I could do it. I said 'Yes' and he said ' well, if J.. can do it , anyone can do it!' Nowadays, everyone remarks on how arty I am and can't believe the story. It still upsets me though - but I feel I have won the point!