Wisdom from the Guy Who Brought You Daffy and Bugs...
In his autobiography, Chuck Amuck, the creator of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a host of other characters you remember, offers some advice that has proven very useful. In response to questions about how he got into art, and how to get kids in to art, Mr. Jones relates a story of sorts about his father. It seems the elder Mr. Jones liked to start new businesses, and like any entrepeneur had his share of business failures. One of the first steps for any of those businesses was to to buy stationary and writing tools... As a result there were a lot of paper and pencils around the Jones household. These conditions led young Chuck Jones to play with paper and pen and develop his own little characters.
Chuck's advice (abstracted and paraphrased) : if you want children to try and/or embrace creative arts or activities, make the materials available, easy to get to, and get out of the way.
As I listen to my kids make music, stories, and pictures, and watch the games recently created via MIT's Scratch project, I have to tip my hat once again to Chuck Jones. When I catch myself coaching or advising my kids frequently..I like to remember Chuck's advice.
By the way, If you want an entertaining read, check out Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist. It's easy to loose perspective on just how creative Looney Tunes were when they came out.
