Ruth E. Carter has created iconic costumes for popular films like Do the Right Thing, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She’s won many awards, including two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design. A storyteller at heart, she is the gold standard in costume design.
She credits her mother, Mabel Carter, as the earliest influence on her career. “My mom was my first storyteller,” Ruth shared with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Ruth used her mother’s sewing machine to learn to sew simple patterns. More than five decades later, she still owns that sewing machine. Ruth E. Carter’s story is a powerful example of how a parent’s influence is woven into the fabric of a person’s life. Parents can nurture creativity and empathy, teaching their children that their dreams are valid and achievable.
Nurturing Your Child’s Creative Spirit
We asked Elyse Handel, Early Childhood Education Manager at The Children’s Museum, how parents and caregivers can inspire a creative spirit in their children’s lives.
“Even at an early age, children are naturally creative and expressive,” Handel says. “They have stories, ideas, and beliefs about their world and who they are, and it’s our job to help foster their creative minds.”
Here are some things Handel suggests parents keep in mind to inspire and encourage their child’s creativity.
Start with Shapes, Colors and Texture
“Think about your child’s interests. Are they tactile learners who love to touch, manipulate and explore different materials?” Handel says. “Provide them with materials that are textured, different sizes, shapes and colors to create stories or express their ideas.”
As children use colors and lines when drawing or creating art, they begin to communicate. It’s one way young children tell stories and share ideas before they have the vocabulary to express their thoughts and feelings.
Provide Opportunities to Explore
Children learn through touching, creating, talking and role-playing. Exploring helps them develop a strong self-identity, feeding into personal creativity — encouraging them to share who they are with the world.
“What’s important,” Handel says, “is to create spaces and opportunities for children to freely explore and express their ideas and stories.”
Provide materials and maybe some prompts but allow your child to explore their own creativity and self-expression. Let your child take the lead.
Ask Open-ended Questions
Talk about what they’re making. Use statements like, “I see you’re creating circles in your art,” or “I see you’re using a lot of colors here.”
Avoid making assumptions about what your child creates. Every child expresses their ideas, beliefs and creativity differently. Validate your child’s work by complimenting what you see and then ask open-ended questions like, “Can you tell me more about what you’re drawing?” Let your child lead the conversation by sharing their story.
A Creative Opportunity at The Children’s Museum
Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, the newest temporary exhibit at The Children’s Museum, is open through Sept. 7, 2025. The exhibit is full of bright, beautiful colors and interesting textures that can spark an idea or connection in your young child. It could fuel a lifelong passion. You’ll also have the opportunity to see the sewing machine that started Ruth’s journey and be reminded of the important role parents have in encouraging their children to pursue their dreams.
