“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

-Pablo Picasso

I came across a video of an artist, Ruth Oosterman, painting a picture using her toddler’s doodle as her layout. You can check out the video at the bottom of this post. I thought it was a really cool idea. I have a son of my own and I love his drawings and watching him grow as an artist from the very beginning. He loves to draw and paint, so naturally I encourage it. When he was a toddler, and even now, I would give him my sketchbooks so he could doodle in them. While I was sketching the other day, I came to one of the pages he had gotten his crayons on when he was about three years old.

I had thought of the video I had watched and wanted to try the same thing that Ruth did. I studied my son’s artwork for a while and starting seeing a waterfall. I began drawing water and the more I added, the more my son’s sketch guided me to the next piece of the scenery. By the end, it became a place I would definitely like to take him. I showed my son the sketch and he gave it his approval.

Art is one of our favorite things to share with each other. He likes to grab his “How-to-Draw” books and pick a drawing we can do together.

It really got me thinking about how I truly believe we are all born artists. In one way or another we were born to create and explore the depths of our art. Whether it’s drawing, painting, music or even dancing. Art cannot be limited and each of us begins life with a great desire to be creative and make something beautiful. But as Picasso said, the problem is remaining an artist as we grow up. Everyone is so overwhelmed and stressed out nowadays. People are depressed and they don’t know what to do about it. Yet, when we pay more attention to the inner child we all have, we get a little self-encouragement. When we feed our youthful selves and remember what we loved to do as children and incorporate that in our day-to-day, life seems a lot simpler. I read something online the other day and it said, “What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?” Food for thought.

To make a long story short, stay young and fuel your art. Your insides will feel better.

How do you let your inner child express themselves? Share a comment or a picture below.

Until next time,

“Your never too old to be young.”

 “Art is as natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.”

-Mary Anne F. Kohl

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

-Albert Einstein

“You can’t use up creativity, the more you use it the more you have.”

-Maya Angelou