Moms in the Arts: An Interview with Kim Votruba-Matook

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At Providence Moms Blog, we are thrilled that our partnership with RISD Continuing Education allows us to bring this interview to our readers.

At Providence Moms Blog, we are passionate about the amazing multi-dimensionality of motherhood and aim to support mothers in their role as “mom” while encouraging them to honor all the other aspects of their identity. We believe that the arts are an essential part of what makes us human and encourage all moms to make the arts a part of their own and their children’s lives. We are proud to partner with Rhode Island School of Design’s Continuing Education Program for this series. 


Kim Votruba-Matook is the Founder and CEO of The Artful Educator, LLC., and a mother of two. She took some time out of her very busy life to tell us about her business and the importance of art in her family’s life. 

mother and son looking at art Providence Moms Blog

Tell us a little bit more about your business. What is The Artful Educator, and how did you come up with the idea?

The Artful Educator™ sets out to solve a challenge I faced as a life-long learner becoming a mom. When my son was a newborn, my husband and I struggled with making time meaningful with our son after we went through our very short checklist of diaper changing, napping, and eating. If he was still awake after all that and couldn’t respond to what we’re saying, what were we supposed to do? My new motherly instinct told me to look for art as a source of inspiration. So, I started looking for educational nursery decor and all I found was the standard “A is for apple” items. I didn’t really understand why a letter was being reduced to a single item. Life is so beautiful and complex, why couldn’t I share that in a positive way with my newborn son through art? Since I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I created it!

So what exactly did you create?

This experience led me to create The Artful Alphabet.™  All the letters of the alphabet are designed as a mosaic of objects that start with that letter (A includes asparagus, Alabama, ant, ampersand, etc.). Then all those letter-specific items are filled in with a color that also starts with that letter (A in Aqua, B in Burnt Sienna, C in Chartreuse, etc.). So, from far away, you see an alphabet letter. Then when you zoom in, you see the one to three dozen items that form the letter and can inspire educational conversations. It’s educational on myriad levels; families can engage with the art at whatever level their children are ready to enjoy.

The objects within each letter prompt discussions about geography, nutrition, the animal kingdom, sports, and activities, among many more topics, totaling 675 points of conversations at a glance. The Artful Alphabet™ currently takes the form of flashcards, placemats, wall art, drawstring bags, and note cards (with inspirational quotes!) to help adults and kids truly be surrounded by educational opportunities. 

What got you personally interested in art?

Both sides of my family are very creative…and I saw them a lot! One grandmother taught me to knit; the other taught me to crochet. My mom and aunts would always be making something, whether it was floral wreaths or a meal. My parents built a ridiculously huge dollhouse for me; my dad did all the construction from scrap wood and my mom was in charge of the interior design with wallpaper and paint! They both love to sketch and doodle and my dad finds a lot of joy in singing. I was always encouraged to create throughout my childhood; it was our norm. Then as I got older art was not part of my professional career until I was a grant writer at a small nonprofit in Boston and they urgently needed promotional materials for an event, so I stepped up and drafted a few. They loved them, I moved into marketing and I have been in love with graphic design as a profession ever since!

Did becoming a mother inspire you to found The Artful Educator?

Absolutely! It is the sole reason for my business. The educational art I created (and now sell!) solved a challenge I was facing as a new mother.

Playing with flashcards Providence moms Blog

What do your kids think of The Artful Educator?

My kids have their initials in their rooms, placemats on the table, flashcards in the car, and even have clothes with Artful Alphabet letters on them (a CEO-exclusive!) Their art has become part of the house and our daily life. Thanks to building this habit, my son knew his initials by one-and-a-half and my daughter loves going through her letters (M is her favorite!) right before bed. Having the art around the house has provided all four of us the opportunity and confidence to talk about anything and everything. Happy results of this are my kids are actively curious about the world and are unafraid to ask questions. I love that!

How do you foster creativity in your own children?

We make messes! I let my kids paint, draw, cook and bake with me. I gush over their art and find ways to display it, repurpose it and share it with family (see how I do this in my PMB blog post: “Why I Save Every Scrap My Kids Draw On”) We also play music as often as we can in the house and on the road; I love having dance parties in the kitchen (also something I write about in “Rocking Out and Singing Sweet”!) While these activities can get messy and rowdy, I want my kids to know that they have freedom in expressing themselves and that they have the ability to create something out of nothing.

What are the different ways that art touches your life on a daily basis?

Books, music, dancing, writing, drawing, building and having the safe and welcome space to explore those mediums without worry. The most consistent way is through books. We read a great deal in our house and we often discuss the illustrations; the colors and patterns used, how certain marks mean certain things, etc. We also read books about creating art such as Peter Reynolds’ Creatrilogy (“Ish,” “Sky Color,” and “The Dot”), Artist Ted by Andrea Beatty, and the classic Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson that discuss the variety of expression art can offer. Then we have coffee table books of art and photography that we skim through, too. As far as physical art goes, we have it hanging up all over our house, from my husband’s photographs to my Artful Alphabet letter prints, to the artwork my kids have created. We see it every day and that sets the example of celebrating and reinforcing creativity in our home.

PMB flashcards Providence Moms BlogWhy do we need to prioritize art in our lives? What’s the best way for mothers to do so?

Art offers so much to children and adults alike. The creative process is chock full of life lessons and soft skill development. Creating something from nothing is not linear. There are many right answers to creatively solving a problem and this can seem counterintuitive. Ideas and designs sometimes do not work. You could create something and not like it, then adjust it and love how it looks even though it has become a totally different piece from what you originally dreamt. Art is uncertain and subjective; it may never be finished. You need to decide when to stop. Creativity needs observation, analysis, adaptability, patience, resilience, grit, courage, collaboration, listening, craft, assessment, critical thinking, and an understanding of failure as a learning opportunity, not a mark of shame, to make it work. All of these skills will serve your children throughout their lives and art can offer this to them. With practice and space to work, they can build the habit of questioning, creating and solving problems on their own.

The best way to do this for your family will vary, of course. If you have space in your home, you can set up a creative work area where art supplies are accessible. Or you could create a craft box or buy notebooks to doodle in with your kids. If you don’t think you’re that creative, you can order a craft subscription service, borrow art books from the library, go to museums, and/or play different kinds of music. While you are doing one, some or all of these things, be sure to talk to your kids about it. If you take the time to explain why this art form – and art in general – is important to you, it will make more of an impact. Then keep including art in some form in your life and keep talking about it. The philosophy behind my company is that educational opportunities are everywhere; some of us need tools and guidance to see them. Once those tools, like my Artful Alphabet, are in place, the habits of quality conversation and daily focus on art blossom into creativity fueled by curiosity. To help our kids love to learn, engage in inquiry, and develop the confidence to tackle challenging issues through creative trial-and-error is a critical and priceless gift. Art is everywhere and its potential is limitless. The more you tap into it, the more it will enrich your world. Get started today!

head shot of Kim Vortuba-Matook Providence Moms Blog


By day, Kim Votruba-Matook is a mild-mannered mama and Director of Content & Branding for a community-building start-up. When she hears the call of a curious kiddo or senses the need for a creative consult, she becomes The Artful Educator (not-so-coincidently the name of the graphic design company she founded in 2015)! Fueled by black tea, chai lattes, and macaroni and cheese, she spends all the time she can creating and sharing educational art to inspire a love for learning wherever she goes. She continues to hone her superpowers of transforming two tiny humans into responsible global citizens as well as her ideas into delightful and artful educational tools. And when she can, she has dance parties in her kitchen because she knows every moment matters and can (and should!) elicit joy.

Kim’s bright and bold educational art can be seen at www.theartfuleducator.com.

RISD Continuing Education educates students of all ages in art and design with high quality, accessible programs, courses, lectures, and workshops.  

RISD CE offers courses for adults in the fine and applied arts and design at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. You’ll find a range of options to explore the world of art and design and RISD’s flexible course schedules meet the needs of today’s adult learners and their busy lifestyles. Options include 3-hour and weekend workshops, 6-12 session courses, and full certificate programs. 

RISD’s Young Artist Program (ages 6-17) helps students make their mark as they create, build, make, and dream big through courses in 2D, 3D, digital art, and design, as well as STEAM courses. 
Saturday courses are offered year-round, and week-long vacation camps are offered in the winter, spring, and summer. Teens can enroll in one of four certificate programs to broaden their skills or prepare for a future in art and design.

 
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Lindsey Galvao
Born and raised in Providence, Lindsey graduated from La Salle Academy, moved to the Midwest for college, and moved back home to attend graduate school at Brown University. She met her husband, Ricardo, junior year of high school in English class, but refused to date him because her mother thought he was such a “nice boy.” Strangely, mothers are always right, and Lindsey and Ricardo started dating after they graduated college. Fast forward 10 years, two cats, and two precocious daughters later, Lindsey is a former history teacher turned freelancer who dabbles in curriculum development and is determined to make her corner of the universe a better place. Helping others is her greatest source of inspiration, and being involved in her community keeps her both exhausted and optimistic. When she’s not reading to or having dance parties with her children, Lindsey can be found drinking copious amount of black coffee, singing as a soprano section leader in her local church choir, perusing the farmers market, working out at CrossFit, spending way too much money on Amazon Prime, or wandering in the library or bookstore. She loves nothing more than a good book, the chance to support local businesses, and spending time with her awesome family.