Bonnie Kelso on Teaching and Writing

From Teaching to Writing

Creating Confidence

by Bonnie Kelso

Pssst. 

I want to let you in on a big secret. 

Are you ready for this? 

It’s going to blow your mind. 

When it comes to making art…

You can’t do it wrong.

I know, I know. You might be thinking, “Well, Bonnie, I can. I do it wrong all the time. I can’t even draw a stick figure.”

The world of art is plagued with comparisonitis. Everyone thinks they want to draw like Leonardo Da Vinci or paint like Frida Kahlo. Those artists are great and there is a lot to learn from their work. But what will you create? What is inside of you that is bursting to come forth through your creative expressions?

Creative confidence can come from putting in the time developing your skills. It’s a slow process of failing, trying again, failing again, but each time getting a little closer to what you envision in your head. Before you take that journey, which every artist suffers through, make sure you have your attitude aligned for success.

When I teach art to my classes, I focus on building confidence from the core. Even artists who create beautiful work often beat themselves up for not being good enough. In my classes I give students permission to play with materials. I want them to enjoy the process and ignore the outcome. Art should engage the senses beyond the visual. There is the smell of the materials. Art-making is tactile, like the torn edge of a piece of watercolor paper. Even the sound of ripping or paint splattering can trigger that creative spark of excitement within the budding artist. If it’s not fun for them, they won’t keep working at it, and eventually they will give it up. The only way to be an artist is to     never     give      up.

Discovering your unique voice and creative expression is what sets you apart from all the others. Instead of trying to be like everyone else, focus on what you have to say, who you are inside, and what you want to share.

This is how teaching has impacted my own work. I have watched transformations occur in students after one class. They turn from inhibited or dissatisfied, to curious or eager to experiment more. As a picture book writer and illustrator, I look for those transformations in my characters. In Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea (Gnome Road, 2023,) the reader witnesses a growing confidence in the snorkeler. The story begins with her feeling like a fish out of water, but as the story progresses, you see her confidence build as she frolics with her new aquatic friends.

Just because I like to play and experiment does not mean I don’t have a love for learning. Trusting my instincts is at my core, but I know that I always have a lot to learn and that excites me, too. Creative confidence doesn’t mean that I know it all. Far from it. For example, one of my past careers was working as an exhibit designer for the Smithsonian Institution. It was my job to help make complex information, that I often didn’t know much about, more accessible to the public. This grew into a fascination with breaking larger things down into bite-sized bits and a skill that helps me write for children. Many of the projects I have in the works right now are informational fiction like Nudi Gill. By finding the weird, wild and silly in a subject and pairing that humor with fascinating facts I have a better chance of teaching children things in a meaningful and memorable way.

I think what appeals to me most about this genre is being able to reach children who struggle with learning. Picture books have the power to package learning in unique and experimental ways. They make great starting points for discussions and activities that engage the senses. I’m a huge supporter of the STEAM initiative and finding ways that different subjects intersect. I wish these techniques had been widely used when I was young. I probably would have enjoyed school a lot more than I did.

Creating confidence applies to more than just art class. It’s so important to meet people where they are in their learning process no matter what the subject is. I try to remember in my work to be a bridge to learning and not a wall.