Celebrating a child's art can be fun for all.
Have you ever read “The Artist’s Way”? Written by Julia Cameron in 1992, it’s a wonderful workbook that teaches you ways to unlock your creative potential. There are the “morning pages,” a daily ritual in which you wake up, then log three free-written pages by hand, tossing whatever ideas come from your mind onto the page. The weekly “artist date,” which sees you out in the world, enriching your creative soul. And the rotating lessons, each centered around a specific “block” you may have concerning your creativity.
For the uninitiated, this may all sound a bit “woo-woo.” But the core idea is that, unknowingly, society stifles our creativity in a million and one ways. Teachers who were mean and cruel, mocking your attempts at art. Distracted parents, more concerned with grades than anything else. Existence within a culture that prizes financial stability and success over creative outpourings of the soul.
Luckily, the daughter of TikTok user @abigail.ellesociety will never have to worry about any of that. In a joyous viral video (that’s racked up 4.2 million views, 945,000 likes, and over 109,000 shares), Abigail shares the art show she threw her four-year-old daughter. Besides the three-foot-tall host, the video depicts a trendy scene that would look at home in any gallery in Los Angeles or Manhattan.
It's never too late (or too early) to unleash your inner artist.
Photo by Matthieu Jungfer on Unsplash
“You throw your four-year-old an art show”
Welcome to @abigail.ellesociety’s art show. The video begins with the four-year-old artist in residence dressed in a chic, all-black outfit. She sports a sleek, pulled-back hairdo (no surprise, given that her mom is a hairstylist and owns Elle Society Salon in Troutdale, Oregon) and welcomes admirers, patrons, and fellow peers into the space. Some even arrive with flowers.
People online are loving the four-year-old's art show. Photo credit: Canva
Her art is proudly displayed on the walls. There's Pikachu, depicted in watercolor. Hand-drawn rainbows and purple butterflies. Minions scowling; minions lifting weights. Minions wielding a lasso. (The artist’s affinity for the “Despicable Me” henchmen did not go unnoticed, with the official Illumination’s Minions account commenting, “She’s an artisté ✨”. The official Barbie account also chimed in, commenting, “to be loved is to be seen 💓”.) Peckish guests enjoyed a delicious spread of finger foods, including pigs in a blanket and pinwheel turkey wraps.
In the comments, TikTok users gushed over the four-year-old’s art show, with @zee_nicolee writing, “This new generation of moms are really healing so many of us 🥰🥰 Great job, Mama 🥰”.
@astoldbyawa said, “I’m literally gonna be this type of mom idc.” While @uncancelable.sahra chimed in, “Can you imagine seeing her art in a museum one day?”
How to honor your child’s creativity
The benefits of supporting a child’s art are endless. Beyond the creative realm, honoring their art is a significant step toward fostering self-respect, confidence, and self-expression. Here are 4 ways to celebrate your child’s inner artist.
- Take their art seriously. The beauty of the art show is how free it is—it’s not an art show “for kids,” it’s a real, bonafide art show! The artist—and her work—are taken seriously. Have your child sign and date everything they make (and like!) on the back. Save these treasures, either digitally or physically, to create a living record of their artistic journey: a lovely portfolio for them and you!
- Create a cork wall display. For a natural, “artsy” feel, constructing a wall-to-wall (or even extremely large) corkboard could provide the perfect canvas for a budding artist’s portfolio. For inspiration, check out this one posted by @florenceandhenri on Instagram, which shows rows and rows of neatly organized child artwork held up by pushpins. It’s an easy way to rotate pieces in and out, and is a nice alternative to the ubiquitous chalk wall. “[A cork wall] helps with acoustics,” writes @florenceandhenri. “It’s tactile and brighter than a wall full of black.”
- Repurpose as stationary. This technique saves money—and the planet! Turn artwork into writing cards, thank you notes, and letters by writing on the back. It’s a personal, homey touch that many recipients will appreciate. If you want to go the extra mile, try your hand at the Japanese art of origami and fold the artwork until it becomes an envelope.
- Save art in a collage. Although these are precious artifacts, physical copies of a child’s art can accumulate quickly—and if you’re not an archivist, saving them can feel more like a chore than a celebration. Turn those works into a collage, either digitally or physically. You can even get creative with the design, like a collage that looks like your home state or a collage using the letters in your child's name.
Remember, honoring your child’s art is supposed to be fun. If you get trapped in a "do it perfectly" mentality, just refer back to the original art show video. In it, everyone is relaxed and having a good time. The art is hung nicely (but not overly styled or organized). The four-year-old artist is excited to share her work with others. And there are heaps of pigs in a blanket. Those always help. For more inspiration, check out the full art show TikTok below:
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."