Today's NY Times contains two items that caught my attention. The first is about how experiences are more lasting, and make us happier, than things do. Filling our spaces and surrounding ourselves with "stuff" has been found to yield less satisfaction than filling our lives with enriching experiences - travel, learning new things, meeting new people, becoming reacquainted with the people we already know and with ourselves etc.
Last Fall I decided to find out whether the little bit of aptitude I've had for drawing was anything more than that. After taking a drawing class for Absolute Beginners (that was me!) I discovered, to my surprise and delight, that I do indeed possess aptitude for drawing. People are my favorite subjects, though I've also enjoyed drawing landscapes. I don't enjoy drawing architectural structures (buildings etc.) and still lifes aren't much fun for me either.
Drawing with pastels has been more fun that I ever would have imagined. Having my hands covered in chalky substances (or any other messy media) was never my idea of a good time but- to my surprise- the pleasure of producing something pretty and colorful that surprises even me, trumps the ickiness of blending chalky, or oily, pastels with my fingers. At 50++ :) I'm learning the joys of finger-painting (for grown ups). "Playing" with pencils, paper, colors, shammies, erasers...is captivating. Though I don't display my "masterpieces" on the refrigerator door, like my mom might have done, I'm not shy about showing my portfolio to friends. To my delight, they usually "ooh" and "ah" and support and encourage my latest indulgence and I feel sooo happy when they do.
When I was a child, there was a television show titled "My Little Margie". Margie was, and is, my nickname and my parents sometimes referred to me as their "little Margie". "Little Margie" has made a comeback. There's something to that "inner child" stuff.
If you've met up with your "inner child" lately, perhaps your and mine can meet. How's that for an invitation?
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