A childlike sense of wonder...

Me, circa 1966

Where does this get lost in our journey? The childlike sense of wonder is what I am constantly looking for…the sound of the art cart coming down the hall in elementary school, the excitement of a brand new box of crayons, a clean white sheet of paper filled with endless possibilities… and the time to create to our hearts content with no expectation of outcome.

I think that’s where the magic lies, in finding our way back to exactly this.

Life gets so incredibly busy with endless to-do lists and leaves no time to just be. And I think creating is very much like meditating…it’s challenging to get there, but worth every minute of effort of finding our way.

It’s all about embracing the messy middle of life and of our art process. Of making a complete mess, of failing and trying again. That’s how we learn as children, and how we find our way into creativity as adults, too. It’s about being in the moment with all of your heart. And with baby steps, you will gain more confidence through the messy middle, and maybe even find yourself enjoying it. Enjoy the journey and embrace the messy middle with fearless confidence my friend! In life and in art!

So how will you challenge yourself to go in search of your childlike sense of wonder? Maybe commit to working in your sketchbook every week (or day) this year, try a new medium, learn something completely out of your comfort zone…creativity comes in all forms…what will you try this year? I’d love to hear…