Erase, Redraw, Repeat: Drawing and Resilience

Drawing builds resilience because mistakes are constant, small and fixable. Every time a child erases a line, redraws a shape or turns an accident into something new, they practise bouncing back. Over time, they learn that setbacks are part of making things.

Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties. Kids build it by facing small setbacks and finding they can cope. Drawing provides dozens of tiny setbacks in every session, which makes it excellent practice.

Mistakes are part of drawing

Even professional illustrators erase and redraw constantly. When kids learn this, mistakes stop feeling like failure and start feeling like part of the process.

Three ways to bounce back

• Erase and redraw. Fix the line and move on.
• Turn it into something. A slip becomes a scar, a spot or a new feature.
• Start fresh. Sometimes a new page is the best answer, and that is OK too.

Teach kids all three and let them choose.

Mutant animals: mistakes welcome

Weird creatures are great for resilience because mistakes often make them better. How to Draw: Mutant Animals features strange mash-ups, so an extra-long leg or an odd-shaped head fits right in. Kids learn to keep going instead of giving up.

Coach the bounce

When something goes wrong:

1. "Uh oh, what happened?" (Name it calmly.)

2. "What could we do?" (Let them suggest.)

3. "Let's try it." (Support the fix.)

4. "You fixed it!" (Celebrate the recovery.)

Talk about it

Point out resilience when you see it: "That line didn't work and you didn't give up. That's resilience." Kids start recognizing it in themselves. For related reading, see frustration tolerance and when kids make drawing mistakes.

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