How to Help Spark Your Child’s Interest in the Arts

It doesn’t really matter how old your child is, and it also doesn’t exactly matter how busy you are as a parent. It’s so incredibly important to do what you can to get your child into a hobby. On top of that, it’s also so important to find ways to get them into a hobby that they will stick to. One of them would be the arts and general humanities, too. So why these? Well encouraging children to explore the world of arts is a wonderful way to foster creativity, self-expression, and imagination. 

Just think about it: everyone is surrounded by art all of the time, and it truly does help boost creativity and truly allow everyone to express themselves, and this leads to content, movies, design, and the list goes on and on. 

Whether your child shows a natural inclination towards painting, music, theater, or dance, nurturing their artistic interests can have a profound impact on their development and well-being. On top of that, it’s fun! So, here’s what you need to know to ignite your child’s passion for the arts and inspire a lifelong love of creativity.

Try to Lead By Example

Children often look to their parents and caregivers as role models. They want to imitate what their parents do! So, just by demonstrating your own appreciation for the arts and incorporating creative activities into your daily routine, you can inspire your child to follow suit. It’s a soft nudge to get them in the right direction, too. 

Whether it’s painting, playing a musical instrument, or attending cultural events, let your child see firsthand the joy and fulfillment that comes from engaging with the arts. But having some quality time with them and showing them you love it will make them want to follow. 

You Have to Provide Opportunities for Exploration

If they’re not being introduced to things, then it’s going to be more challenging to get them interested in the arts. So, just go ahead and expose your child to a wide range of artistic experiences and mediums to help them discover their interests and talents. It could be as simple as getting them a portable drawing tablet to doodle on (something that all kids love), but you can go beyond that, such as getting out of the house! 

Why not consider visiting museums, art galleries, and performances together? If you encourage your child to experiment with different artistic activities, then you can count on your child to just feel free to explore and express themselves creatively. So, by all means, take this into consideration!

Make It Fun for Them

Above all, make the arts a fun and enjoyable experience for your child. If you try and force it, they’re only going to hate it! So you need to make sure that you incorporate creative activities that they can actually dream of as fun, such as putting them into playtime, bedtime routines, and family gatherings. You can’t control this, and it needs to be naturally weaved in. 

Beyond Van Gogh in St. Louis

When you first see the photos for the Van Gogh Immersive Experience you may think to yourself that this looks interesting. What you feel when you actually see it, is something entirely different.

Vincent Van Gogh is probably one of the most well-known names when it comes to art. Just about everyone knows his Starry Night painting. But did you know he painted that while in an asylum? Or do you know what caused the infamous ear incident without searching Google? These are just a couple of facts that you will read about while making your way through the Van Gogh Experience that is now available at the St. Louis Galleria.

Reading personal letters from Vincent to his brother Theo Van Gogh is a peek into the life of an artist that you normally wouldn’t know about. It is very thought provoking and provides insight into the mind of someone just trying to make their way in the world.

Seeing Vincent Van Gogh’s art in this new a technological way is amazing. They dubbed this an immersive experience. Immersive is the perfect word for this art show. Seeing the water in his painting ripple through-out the space, stars and fields flowing with flowers growing, and if you stare long enough at a portrait you might even see it blink.

Taking my daughter to this event was something I was wanting to do since it had been announced. I am thrilled that she got to experience this with me. Seeing her eyes light up as the room changed into another spectacular scene after another was worth spending a little time out of evening. She’s my little artist and it’s so interesting to hear her thoughts on Van Gogh’s brush strokes (he uses a lot of circles, she says), his bright colors, the people, fields, and houses, he paints. She’s still a little kid, so her thoughts don’t go as deep and meaningful as mine, but they’re there, just kid versions.

The event was well attended and there were Covid-19 precautions, like wearing masks and hand sanitizer stations. You probably shouldn’t be touching anything while you’re there anyways, but still there are some spots to wash your hands if needed. There is also a gift shop so you can pick up some Van Gogh themed items like shirts, cups, necklaces, etc. They are all very cool and worth checking out before you walk out the door.

Grab your tickets from vangoghstlouis.com today and enjoy one of the most technological artistic experiences you could ever immerse yourself in!

BEYOND VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Tickets for the blockbuster exhibition, “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” are now on sale!!!


Beyond Van Gogh will have a limited engagement in St. Louis, September 16 to November 7. The exhibition will fill the new Starry Night Pavilion on the grounds of the Saint Louis Galleria.


The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Four entry times will be available each hour. Tickets will be sold online at www.vangoghstlouis.com. Prices begin at $33.99 for adults and $19.99 for children ages 5 to 15. Children under 5 are free.


Created by French-Canadian Creative Director Mathieu St-Arnaud and his team at Montreal’s world-renowned Normal Studio, this immersive experience features more than 300 of Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic artworks and takes the art lover into a three-dimensional world that exhilarates the senses.


In a rich and unique multimedia experience using cutting-edge projection technology developed by some of the world’s greatest AV designers, Beyond Van Gogh takes on the challenge of breathing new life into Van Gogh’s vast body of work. Using the artist’s own dreams, thoughts, and words to drive the experience as a narrative, guests move along projection-swathed walls wrapped in light and color that swirls, dances, and refocuses into flowers, cafes, and landscapes. 


While journeying through Beyond Van Gogh, guests witness more than 300 masterpieces, including instantly-recognizable classics such as “The Starry Night”, “Sunflowers”, and “Café Terrace at Night”, now freed from their frames. Van Gogh’s art comes to life by appearing and disappearing, flowing across multiple surfaces, and heightening the senses with their immense detail. Through his own words set to a symphonic score, guests come to a new appreciation of this tortured artist’s stunning work. It’s a no surprise that millions of people all over the world credit Van Gogh with enhancing their relationship with art. Beyond Van Gogh will only deepen it further.


As immersive art installations deeply resonate around the globe, “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” will stay in St. Louis for a limited engagement before moving across North America. Art lovers near and far will have the opportunity to live this unique, unforgettable experience. 


Beyond Van Gogh will follow all St. Louis County Health Department guidelines in place during the exhibition’s run. Parking will be free at the Saint Louis Galleria. Group tickets are available for eight or more.

Inktober 2019 Results

Much like in years past we are participating in Inktober again this year! Last year was a lot of fun drawing each and every day with my daughter and this year looks to be no different, except she now has her own Instagram account (@AbbyDoodlesArt) and will be posting her own artwork there. Yay!

Like last year with our 2018 Inktober results I ask y’all to scroll through and check out what we did in 2019. I made this handy little table so you don’t have to scroll too much, just click the links and be sure to like, comment, and follow!

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This year we will be doing something just a little bit different as well. Instead of working directly from the Inktober prompt list, Abby wanted to also use the Cartoon Network prompt list. So we are adding that to the mix and we shall see how it turns out! There may even be a few on the Cartoonber list that I may even try drawing this year, but I will mainly be sticking to the official Inktober prompt list. Either way it’s going to be a good time this year just as it always has been these last couple of years!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@dadSTL / @AbbyDoodlesArt) and if you are feeling like joining maybe even get out some pens and paper and try your own Inktober!