Future plans for a child who loves ART

[yellowmoosefever]

Any suggestions on how to encourage a child who is quite artsy and wants to take it up as career? Senior schools and more informal ways of nurturing the interest? She is 9, does art at school and the usual art camps over school holidays. We're based in SW London. Thanks.

Take her to visit art museums, history, natural science museums, all kinds of museums, churches, architecture, concerts, libraries, bookstores, festivals, art studios, galleries and allow DC to purchase whatever art supplies they are interested in and let them use them without creating a fuss if they make a mess. Be interested yourself!

As OP said, get them materials for presents, take them to galleries. Also focus on other core subjects, age 9 is very young to have any concept of doing something as a career.

At that age I’d just expose her to lots of art and let her do art at home, maybe enter a few competitions and get stuff in local galleries. In the long term I’d look at accessing training that might actually lead to a job. For example digital work like 3D modelling, CGI, etc. Because there are literally no well paid jobs in painting and drawing.

Maybe a drawing tablet?

Put a lot of time into developing her abilities to be assertive and proactive.

There are pretty much no jobs in fine art/drawing and those that there are, you are far more likely to get if you are prepared to be extremely assertive and pushy!

Also make sure digital skills are as high as paint/paper skills.

(Degree from art college and decades in related industries).

Museums like V and A and Royal Academy offer workshops

She's 9. Encourage her interest in this hobby but don't make a big deal out of it as a possible career. No child ever said they want to be e.g. a programme manager but as an adult it's a better paid and more secure job than 99% of the type of jobs 9 yo want. And anyway, next week she might want to be a pop star or a footballer. Or a butterfly.