CMU School of Drama


Friday, February 28, 2014

This 4-Year-Old Makes Paper Dresses With Her Mom -- And They Keep Getting More Amazing

www.huffingtonpost.com: I started following @2sisters_angie a little over a year ago. Back then she was posting the typical stuff you see from moms on Instagram -- pics of her daughter at the park, pics of her daughter eating breakfast and lots of photos of her daughter playing dress-up.
You know, the same stuff I post.
Then, about nine months ago, Angie's feed started to change. It became clear Angie's daughter (she calls her "Mayhem") was more interested in fashion than the average 4-year-old. Mayhem shunned her store-bought princess dresses and started wrapping herself with scarves and sheets creating her own styles.

10 comments:

Katie Pyne said...

I've seen this article circulating around Facebook and I really like this idea. I especially love the creativity shared by the parent and the child in this situation. Not only are these dresses fun and pretty, but they're also works of art. It's also taking dress-up to a whole new level. Plus, it's relatively inexpensive to do. And the photos looks great! While they're kind of reinventing the wheel, the reinvented wheel is pretty awesome.

Unknown said...

Its iteresting and very inspirational to see what kids can accomplish. They are a mind untouched by society and can express themselves in any way they please without feeling cautious. Art is limitless and when something like this is done, it is a reminder why we do what we do. We are all just little kids trapped in an older body craving to be creative and artistic.

Carolyn Mazuca said...

Like Katie, I've seen this article all over recently. It's fascinating how much this article has spread so quickly. I've seen this article about 4 or 5 times within this past week and although I already know what it says, I read it every time. It's inspiring not only to see this amount of creativity and love of craft in a 4 year-old, but also the outlet the mother introduced to her daughter. I realize that the daughter already had a love for making her own dresses before she was introduced to paper, but I wonder if that passion would have been lost as she got older had her mother not had the paper idea? Also, what if more parents were aware of the type of creative outlet their children liked and harnessed it similar to this situation? Furthermore,I'm curious as to how the daughter's problem solving skills from her experience will benefit her in the future.

simone.zwaren said...

Some of these are really cool. Hey freshman, keep this in mind for Dick's class next semester, you never know... I love that this girl is wearing paper versions of the celebrity gowns. I did not realize this article was everywhere, but cute kids usually go viral. It is cool to see the progression of the outfits, how much more complicated they become as one scrolls down in the article. I love to think how much fun this must be for the two of them. I know my mom and I loved to dress up when I was younger, and admittedly still today. I am a little jealous of this girl

Unknown said...

I'm awestruck at the ingenuity of both mother and daughter. It is super encouraging to see that there's still parents who prefer the simpler things in life as well as the children. Having a creative output for Mayhem instead of just sitting her in front of a tv is something that I would only dream of from parents nowadays. I know how easy it is to sit a kid in front of a tv and have them shut up and be mesmerized but I also feel as though it just destroys the creative process in the kid's life and that is ridiculously hard to regain. Kudos to both of them.

Becki Liu said...

I thought this was super super cute. I love how excited the girl is about making dresses. I just wonder what she likes more, the making of the dress or the modeling that comes from making the dresses. I think this is more of a good story to learn parenting from. This creative outlet was provided by her mother and her mother helps her make the dresses. I think it's a great way to introduce creativity to your children. So parents out there! Do an art project with your kid! Or build something, anything! It can be making paper hats or playing with those kinex (I actually don't know if that is the right name for them...)! Let them play with their food! That's the best part of childhood and it's the start of something amazing!!!

Albert Cisneros said...

I saw this the other day and I was really inspired by the creativity of this duo. They successfully use paper to create these dresses that look a feel kind of like the real thing. In some of the designs the paper looks and feel different than just paper. I think mimicry art is really great when people are just starting out. It builds a platform for skill and thinking. I would love to see if designing with paper has influenced this daughter and mother to design with fabric. I think it would be really adorable if these two used their skills to create their own designs.

Sabria Trotter said...

I've also seen this article several times this week and I think that its really cool.Not only is it adorable that this mother and daughter have found such a creative and fun way to spend time together, but the use of paper in the dresses is also really innovative. I feel like sometimes we shy away from materials that seem more childish in our work (construction paper, cotton balls,etc.), but articles like this show us how much creative potential these item still hold.

Emily Bordelon said...

This is adorable and it's great to see kids who show budding creativity. Some of the dresses are fun and look like they were made by a child, but some look truly remarkable and its difficult to believe that they were made from paper. It's nice to see her mom encouraging her daughter to make things she has come up with by herself as well as things she has seen in the media.

Madeleine Wester said...

What I particularly like about this article is the mother's attitude toward her daughter's passions. It is extremely important to allow children a creative outlet, and Angie's support of her daughter's creativity will benefit her in the future. What I'm interested to see is the progression of Angie's daughters skills and if her love of fashion will continue as she ages. Many artists I know grew up very artistically aware, and were imaginative from a young age. Childhood desires and dreams often follow us throughout life in ways we aren't always conscious of, and I know that I would be a much less creative artist if I did not tap into my childhood toys and games for inspiration. Being able to reflect on your childhood and draw from past experiences is an extremely important ability. I hope that Angie continues to encourage her daughters creative personality and that other parents will act similarly with their children!