improvisational collaborations

One of the goals for my mother's visit was to have some intergenerational studio time. My daughter doesn't take well to pre-conceived projects and crafts, preferring an open-ended process that she has complete control over. She's happiest making art that is inspired by the materials in front of her or by what she is currently passionate about. I've learned to never say "would you like to make such and such..."

Knowing this, my mother spread out bunches of material on the work table, turned up the music and invited us to dig into: 

• bowls of scrap paper: both found and leftover slices from her paper cutter
• colored pencils and oil pastels
• scissors of all kinds
• paste
• plastic animals and toys
• old photos
• little recycled white boxes 
• rubber stamps and ink

We all got busy. My mother and I both reached for the boxes, while the littlest in the group investigated the animals and small strips of paper.

When she saw the below box that her grandmother was working, the temptation to join in was too great. Can you blame her? We were PLAYING! There were no rules.

I had no idea where I was going, so when she jumped in to direct me... all of my answers were YES!

And then  "puppet pieces" were made for my mother to use in their shared box.


Collaborating with someone small is always satisfying. The inner-critic must remain silent. Before you know it your childlike tendencies are slipping between the cracks and fresh inspiration is generating freely. This is different "work" than an adult-lead making session, where the child helps and has input, but the outcome has already been determined. That is a valuable kind of collaborating in its own right, but today I'm talking about connecting with your child through play and spontaneity with varied materials resulting in an unknown outcome. Give it a try... I'm certain you'll be delighted.