Did You See This?

Why Kids’ Art Matters

Robert F. Kennedy decked out his Justice Department office with his children’s drawings. He was onto something.

This video from The School of Life, directed by Delphine Burrus, makes the children’s art on our fridges and in our offices sound like the ultimate punk art. It’s not about technical achievement; it’s about spirit. Kids do go all in, coming home with blue and green fingers and streaks of red marker splayed across their cheeks.

As one famous 6-year-old artist, Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame), put it: “As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance.”

It may be, as writer and narrator Alain de Botton suggests, that we display these colorful scribbles and paintings everywhere because they remind us of the unburdened, carefree characters we used to be. It may also be we just really love our kids.