Last Sunday, my kids started their own business. I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, their mom being an entrepreneur an all.
The business is called Buying Art Pictures Lane. (Biz came up with the name. G and I went with it.)
Biz has been talking about selling his art for a while now. I believe my husband and I planted the seed when we noticed how amazed he was with the artwork in some of his books. He would note how good the pictures were while we read to him. I remember telling him one night that maybe he could become an illustrator for kids books when he grew up. He was thoroughly intrigued when I told him people pay artists to draw pictures for books. That could explain why he boldly stated, “We’re going to get dollars for our art and be rich!”
Biz is always drawing. Always. He covers our walls and his daycare’s cupboards with his art. We had to buy him two big bulletin boards for his room because one wasn’t enough to display his art. He also creates a lot of 3-D art. He often works with mixed media. Scotch tape is a staple for him.
G’s no slouch either. Last year, his art was chosen to be shown at our local library. They had an artist’s reception and everything.
One of their favorite books is If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen. Between the beautiful illustrations and the creative car that is described, the book inspires my boys to imagine what kind of car they would build if they could.
It never gets old to see a child’s pure unadulterated excitement when they realize the sky is the limit. That they can make their dreams happen. (Sometimes I wish that innocence wasn’t so lost on adults.)
Toyota believes in the power of imagination and the dreams of a child. Their 8th annual Dream Car Art Contest reminded me of my boys’ favorite book. Kids from all over the world are encouraged to share their own artistic ideas of what dream cars of the future should look like. Last year more than 600,000 entries from more than 70 countries were received. One winner from each age category gets the opportunity to visit Japan with their families!
Sadly, the deadline to enter in America (excluding Hawaii) has passed. But there are still chances to enter in other countries and Hawaii. You can find the entry information here. You can bet I’m putting this contest on my calendar for next year.
Take a moment to watch this (sponsored) video from Toyota. It truly is beautiful. Watching the kids and their creativity gave me goosebumps.
What does your dream car look like?
Full disclosure: This post was sponsored by Toyota, but all text and thoughts are my own.
