Teaching Thoughtfulness Alongside Creativity
As I shared in my thoughts On The Importance of Creativity, creativity does not need to always be about productivity. It’s about the process of creating and what that process does in us. And sometimes the focus on the end product can get in the way of that.
That said, it also seems like a waste to have all of our children’s artwork sitting in piles around the house. And there’s only so much space on the refrigerator. There’s a sweetness to children’s art, as if their innocence somehow comes through even there.
With my own child and the little one I nanny, we’re currently in the toddler season of abundant abstract art. It’s one of my favorites. But there’s a lot of it. So I’ve created a collection of some very simple greeting cards to use for these painting sessions we’ve been having multiple times a week.
These cards are helping us in a few ways and so I wanted to share them with you!
- It helps me to always have birthday cards and thank you cards in stock. I’ve missed a lot of birthdays now, not because I’ve forgotten, but because I just couldn’t manage to squeeze making birthday cards into our calendar in the weeks that I’ve needed them.
- It gives further purpose to the artwork beyond the simple process of creating.
- It teaches thoughtfulness to little ones. It’s important to me to teach Graham to be the sort of person who encourages and lifts others up, the sort of person who breathes life into those around him, and who is always quick to celebrate with his presence or his words/thoughts. This is a very practical way to practice just that.
- It brightens someone else’s day by doing something we’re already doing anyway. Is there anyone who doesn’t like receiving something in the mail? The walks to the mailbox become very mundane when it’s nothing more than a handful of bills and garbage. But a handwritten card? It’s like a rare gem. And it comforts the soul to know that someone thought of you the amount of time it takes to make, write, and address an envelope. It’s a unique sense of belonging.
Anyway, I’ve created one set for occasions all throughout the year (birthdays, etc.) and another set specifically for gratitude and thanks for this month. Both are free to download using the links below. Enjoy!
Tip: If you’ll be using for watercolors, I would recommend using card stock to handle the water better and keep them from getting warped.
