Drawing… upon the child within

Happiness.

Maybe its as easy, as simple as drawing like a child again.  The pure unfettered self expressive freedom a child unleashes while drawing and creating is a joy to watch.

I believe I received just as much happiness from the watching as my granddaughter did as she created this.

Unfettered by rules, by expectations, by popular demands.

Yes, that is what art means….. for me.  And is what I encourage with such enthusiasm.

 

 

 

 

Draw Like A Child

Draw like a child…. free of fear.

 

Picasso knew a bit about returning to the enchantment of childhood in order to create from within.

Picasso

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

 

 

Its this,  drawing like a child, creating from within,  that is our True North.

 

 

The Story Line

 

once upon a time, when we first beheld the world

through our childhood eyes –

 

and the world was lovely

and we were happy

 

with the joy of a crayon in hand

we scrawled big splashes across the pages

as our mothers

proudly smiled with encouragement

and enthusiasm

 

 

but then we went to school

we learned to stay in the lines

 

we learned that the sky

WAS BLUE

the grass WAS GREEN

 

we learned there were

no dragons, no easter bunnies, no santas, no angels, no knights

 

we learned our ABC’s

and about those frightening  F’s

 

 

we went to work

and learned to toe the line

 

to cease our daydreaming,

to always pay attention

to The Bottom Line

 

 

we learned there were bills to pay,

family to feed,

and there was never enough  time

 

 

then if we were fortunate,

we retired

 

 

we dusted off the old brushes,

took out the faded paints and charcoals

 

and wondered….

Where

did all our freedom go,

what happened to our creativity

 

and

why did the magic disappear?

 

 

The Artist Within – Hope, Encouragement, Freedom

This is the story line, over and over, of so many people who come to art classes.

I felt compelled to try to put their stories into words for all of us. To examine the issue closer.

 

It is not a case of “not being talented” or gifted.

It is not about “being no good”  as I’ve heard as well.

 

It is I think,  more like we need some word of hope, of encouragement from someone to get us started on our journeys.

Plus,  we Do need to throw out ‘perfection’ and return to a more childlike creative state.

 

 

See – Burn – Free 

When we return to looking, to seeing with our child’s eye, our imaginations and creativity will be restored to us.

When we toss away the school master’s lecture notes and burn them for the illusion they are;

we free our Imaginations.

 

“perfection is an illusion.”

Merely …..  a convenient measuring stick which others can be graded by,  judged by, monitored, labelled and dismissed by.

 

 

I so agree.

(Unless…..  you are a surgeon. or in another life and death profession.  then I advocate as much perfection as is possible. please.)

The world doesn’t require abstract expressionist surgeons.

 

 

 

But I believe it does need us to once again see the magic.

To see the dragons, santas, angels, bunnies and knights.

Even if they are only within our enchanted imaginations.

 

 

 

A warm thank you to  Andrew Seal at  thechangingpalette.com  for his humorous  “abstract expressionist surgeon”  phrase.  I found it wonderful, funny & handy!  Plus, if you check out his website – you’ll discover not only humor in his posts, but some of the most expressive work with ink, pen and brush.  Ink work that is not tight,  nor stiff at all.  But very free and gestural, with lovely rhythm.   the changingpalette.com