Read or listen to artists talk about what inspired them as children to love their work and most of the time they will talk about an experience of something or someone that sparked that inspiration. They were interested in something like writing or drawing, but then they encountered a work of art that made something click in their minds and hearts. They then set out on a lifelong journey to become like the artist that inspired them.
Angela Duckworth makes this observation about the transition from interest to passion in her book Grit.
Hank Garner brings out these stories in his more than 200 interviews with authors on his podcast.
I could probably thank J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis for the path I am on.
I can see it in my kids, too.
My second daughter, for example, wants to be an author, but it wasn’t her author-father that sparked this interest. It was Mo Willems. She’s been creating “Pigeon” books all year.
She loved books. She was interested in writing, but for whatever reason this author really inspired her. She even wrote him a letter and shared one of her stories.
You can’t predict what your kids will develop a passion to do.
So, expose them to a lot art experiences and artists and see what sparks from that interest.
