RE “USE your imagination’’ (g, Sept. 1): I read with interest Don Aucoin’s article on how parents can fill the void when schools cut art and music programs, and I think the article was full of good suggestions. As a parent of now-grown children and a teacher of workshops in schools and libraries on how to make books, I would like to encourage parents to view creative activity as something not just for the children but for themselves. Making things, whether they be music, dances, plays, paintings, sculptures, or books, engages not only our hands, voices, and minds, but our hearts. We develop our imaginations and come to see the world with fresh eyes.
Sharing that experience brings families together and gives children and adults alike a sense of empowerment and contentment. As I often say to parents and teachers at workshops: “Don’t let your kids have all the fun.’’
Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord
Newburyport 
