Character

Having lived for sometime in beautiful Oman, there is something that strikes me about the old folk from the inner regions; I am talking in small towns, down old dusty roads, perched on a hill side of some deep valley kinda old people.  The kind that don't care much for the city and are MORE than satisfied with their existence surviving off of the basics that the land provides them.  There's a sense of peace in their eyes, happiness in their smile, and comfort in their stride.  Growing old gracefully must be one of the hardest challenges, but it seems that in old arabia, life can become richer as your outer strengths fade and the inner self blooms. I aspire to be 'that together' when I grow old, and am on the hunt for a small property in the middle of nowhere.  My sketch has probably failed to capture the magic, but can't help myself :)

My First

It is amazing how much my children get me thinking about life and who I am.  I was observing my youngest as he zoomed around the room in his 'first' super suit.  I was in awe at how deeply immersed he was in the joy of 'being' superman.  So I began to sketch the image above, and as I did so I came to the answer of a question I am frequently asked, which is 'what motivates you?'.  I realized that the reason I enjoy and continue to work hard is that 'first moment' experience I go through time and time again.  As a creative artist we rarely face the same repetitive challenge that so many jobs plague individuals with.  Each new project means a new challenge and some amount of stepping into the unknown.  We get to role play new situations, and become characters in our own stories.

Then there is the 'superman' feeling we get from facing new situations or challenges and coming out unscathed the other-side ... for our kids, everything is new, and life seems to bring them so much joy.  Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt, and we should ourselves be striving to bring new experiences into our own?

Peace.