| Hi John, I was invited to a potluck and signed up to bring an appetizer. I love small food. 🥟 Now, what to bring? Flipping through my cookbooks I found wild retro ideas like skewered pineapple aspic and fancy things like smoked eggplant dishes. They pulled at me with their photos and descriptions, but maybe this was overkill? Plus, my time was limited. Or... I could keep it simple and stick to the tried-and-true. I opted for something that would be creatively fun for me, easy to pull off, and there was a good chance folks would like it: toasted bread with a variety of toppings. Not as flashy at first glance, but people got to pick and choose their favorites and they were a hit. This mirrors my approach to teaching art. I usually ask myself these questions: What project or lesson would be fun for me? Will it be easy to execute? Will my students enjoy it? Will it give my students meaningful results? You don't need the fanciest materials or the most complex projects to inspire creativity. Stick to the tried and true and make sure it's also fun for you! And then, there's a good chance, kids will be excited to dive in and enjoy the experience you crafted for them. Keep it simple, P.S. Here are four ways I can help you simplify art-making with kids: Set up a self-serve creative zone for kids at home: Blog post (free) Have a toddler? Try one of these 12 Simple Art Projects for Toddlers (free) Fill your days with easy and inspiring creativity-boosting art activities for kids with TinkerLab Schoolhouse ($9.99/mo). Get ahead on next year's art lesson planning with our seasonally inspired K-5 art plan. Get it here. Useful Resources Whatever your next creative project might be, if you need some help I have tons of resources waiting for you. Pop over to the blog for creative activity ideas, there are free toolson the Creativity Resources page of my website, and find affordable classes in my shop. Follow along and see what I'm up to onInstagram. | 