Seeing Through a Child’s Eyes: The True Meaning of Imagination

“I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” Frida Kahlo

A while back, a parent told me she was worried about her daughter’s artistic abilities. “I feel like she lacks imagination,” she said. This parent isn’t alone in her concern about her child’s creativity. Many parents seem to share the same misconception about what imagination means for children.

A child’s imagination isn’t necessarily about creating something fantastical or surreal. Unlike adults, children don't separate themselves from the experience. In other words, they are more connected to life, and their inner world and outer world are intertwined. Because of that, their art isn’t about imagination as we define it—it’s about expressing their reality, as they see and feel it.

Since each child's personality, experiences, and perception of the world are different, their artwork can vary greatly. Some seem very surreal, while others may seem more realistic and narrative. The ones with more fantastic ideas don’t mean the creators are more imaginative or creative—rather, they are simply a bold and genuine expression of what's going on in their inner world. Similarly, the ones with less fantastic ideas don't mean they are less creative. Think about it, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers or Munch’s The Scream don't actually showcase imagination, but that doesn’t make these artworks any less valuable.

For children, imagination isn’t about creating for the sake of it—it’s about fearlessly and genuinely expressing what’s going on inside their minds and hearts.

Little girls are usually drawn to princesses, magic, and beautiful things. Family and home are common themes in their art. In contrast, little boys tend to focus more on the external world as a way to express their inner desires. Their artwork often contains strong storytelling elements. Battles and fights frequently appear in their drawings—not out of aggression, but as a way to explore bravery and strength. The difference in the drawings of boy and gils may be explained by Carl Jung's collective unconscious. In ancient times, men were responsible for hunting and may have had to face battles and fights, while women stayed at home to look after their families and decorate their homes. These tendencies may still carried under the collective unconscious mind and reflected in children’s art.

In my opinion, the ability to genuinely and fearlessly express themselves is what Picasso was getting at when he talked about kids’ natural artistic ability. If we push our own idea of “imagination” onto them and try to teach them how to be “creative,” we are actually teaching them to be fake, which takes away what makes art art.

As children grow, something begins to change. They become more aware of societal expectations—what is considered "normal" or "right"—and their inner voice starts to fade. This is often accompanied by many art teachers’ "contributions." Despite good intentions, they may end up shaping children's creativity into something that fits a mold—just another advanced version of copying and a less obvious way of shutting down what makes their art truly their own. Their art ceases to be a pure expression of themselves and instead shifts toward meeting external expectations. And just like that, their natural creativity eventually begins to diminish.

So, perhaps what parents really need to understand is that kids don’t imagine things the way adults do. And that’s exactly why their art is so special.