What does getting back to your roots mean to you? What something from years ago have you stopped doing, or put on hold, or shoved down because it felt frivolous or indulgent or less important?
Let’s drill down….
When I was a kid, I loved to draw more than anything else. A pencil, eraser, and stack of typing paper were prized possessions. I spent countless hours drawing cartoon characters.
Then, gradually, adulting happened.
I got a little older and started to notice the things other young artists were drawing: portraits and realistic drawings. Realistic was never my style, but it seemed way more serious and masterly than my little characters. Then an art teacher took me to task for holding the pencil “the wrong way.” So, feeling defeated and inept, I lost my passion for drawing.
Many years and stories later, the medium of colored pencil rekindled my desire to make art. My subjects all wanted to be dressed in bright colors and have outlines, just like cartoons, but I decided that was okay. I embraced this graphic style of making art with colored pencils and it works for me.
But now: a new turning. I recently took a daylong character development class with masterful illustrator, Jan Fagan. Spending a few hours creating characters with others cracked open a door, and magic happened: the cartooning mojo is coming back and I’m having more fun with art than I’ve had in a long time. I sense my art may be heading back to its roots. I’m open to the idea, and I’m excited to see where this adventure takes me.
Now let’s get back to you…
Without a doubt, there is some small or large thing you never do that makes your heart sing. Maybe it’s tucked so far back you have forgotten about it.
What do you feel like were you born to do?
What would you do if money and time were no option?
Could it be time to revisit it?
I invite you to relax and think about this. Try not to rush it. Take some time, and see what bubbles up for you.
You are the pilot of your life’s adventure. Remove the chocks from under your wheels, throttle up, and let yourself head for the runway. Once you do, amazing things are bound to happen. Your excitement will create energy, and energy makes things happen. Ideas will come, opportunities will appear, and before you know it, you’ll be flying.
I’ll see you up above the clouds!
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