What to Give the Kid Who Says They're “Not Good at Art”
At some point, usually around age 8 or 9, a lot of kids decide they're not good at art. Talent's rarely the real issue. It's the moment they start comparing their own picture to what's in their head, or to what the kid next to them drew, and it doesn't match up.
So they stop. Or they only draw the same three things they know they can do well, over and over, because at least those don't feel like failure. I saw this happen constantly as an elementary art teacher, and I've spent a long time thinking about what actually turns that mindset around, and it's not what you'd guess.
Encouragement Doesn't Fix This
The instinct is to tell them they're doing great. That's not wrong, exactly, but it doesn't usually work, because the kid doesn't believe you. They know what they meant to draw and they know it doesn't look like that. Telling them it's good anyway just tells them your opinion doesn't match reality, which isn't actually reassuring. What changes a kid's mind about their own ability isn't being told they're good. It's seeing evidence.
Confidence Comes From Evidence, Not Encouragement
This is the belief my entire teaching approach is built on: a kid needs to finish something they're actually proud of, made with their own hands, before they'll believe they can do it again. Not something they were told looked nice. Something that, when they look at it, they think, I did that.
That's a completely different experience than a blank page and a request to “draw whatever you want,” which is honestly one of the more terrifying things you can hand a kid who's already decided they're bad at this.
What Actually Gets Them There
The reason I built my watercolor workbooks the way I did is because of this exact problem. Every project is broken into steps small enough that a kid who's convinced they can't draw still hits every single one.
1. There's a full color example so they know exactly what they're working toward, so there's no guessing or “did I do this right.”
2. There's a video and written directions so nobody's stuck wondering what comes next.
3. The projects are designed so a beginner, on their very first try, ends up with something that actually looks like the thing it's supposed to be.
That's not luck. The steps are small enough, and the instruction is clear enough, that a kid who's never picked up a paintbrush can still land it.
Adult beginners tell me the same thing, so I know it's not just a kid thing: “Alyssa's book and accompanying video directions are superlative for this brand new artist! She is clear and concise and I am able to understand what she is doing.” — Nancy Danforth
Why This Matters More Than the Painting
Here's the part that actually matters longer term: the confidence doesn't stay in the sketchbook. A kid who finishes a painting they're proud of is a kid who's a little more willing to try the next hard thing, whatever it is. That's resilience, and it's built the same way for a first grader and a forty-year-old: by collecting real evidence that you can do hard things and land somewhere good, not by being told you're capable and hoping you believe it.
If your kid has decided they're not an art person, that's exactly who these workbooks are built for. $26 each, or curate a year of art with any 4 books for $80 with code HOMESCHOOL. Shop here!
Stay creative!
-Alyssa
