Every child dreams,
creates art,
writes poetry,
sings songs.
Why do most stop?
I’m thankful for those
who didn’t stop,
for Vincent van Gogh’s
sunflowers, Frida Kahlo’s
self-portraits, Jacob Lawrence’s
dreams, JeeYoung Lee’s
otherworlds, Picasso’s
Don Quixote, Frank Lloyd Wright’s
fallingwater, Mary Oliver’s
Wild Geese, Nikki Giovanni’s
Ego Tripping.
Every child
knows it’s fun
to play with words,
to be the sphinx,
to fly like a bird,
to cover your hands
with color.
Shapes, colors, words,
unstructured,
structured,
loose, tight, true,
false, weak and light.
Adults know hidden
depression.
Anxiety.
Fear.
Daily.
Hourly.
What is wrong?
What broke?
Where is our sense of play?
Our joy of words and color?
We need
healing.
Copyright 2020 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: Thanks to Cadmus38 for inspiring this post. Everywhere I look in the world, I see strength, caring and magic among my friends, family and neighbors. But also, I see the need for healing. I see flowers behind bars.
16 thoughts on “Art and Artifice”
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Friendly Fairy Tales 
We are lucky that my Mum instilled a love of creative pursuits in us, even though my brothers both work in banks now they still dance. This is a great post 🙂
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Thanks! I hope my kids will pursue creative ventures. I think it keeps you from despair, later in life.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
WE’RE BEING HEALED RIGHT HERE! THANKS, BRENDA!
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That’s a nice thing to say, thanks!
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YOU’RE VERY WELCOME!
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yes, we all need to hang onto that, and we all need healing. so sad when it is lost along the way
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I hope the promises of reform are kept.
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i really do, too
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A lot of people are crushed by responsibility. I think that’s the killer of creativity and joy for so many. Poverty, stress, relationships, having children, money, running on the work wheel, with no free time. Deadly adult things that people do in order to survive.
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True. Even retired people can’t entirely get away from all the crushing responsibility.
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Very apt view on the realities of “maturing.” There are many reasons children lose their desires for the “arts” but I think it’s our job to continue to encourage them in it!
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Agreed, KaylaAnn. Let’s hope that the arts survive all these changes we’re in the midst of.
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It is true that as I grew up, I no longer doodled nor attempted to paint or do any arts and crafts. Good post on how children lose their creativity as we grow up facing the challenges of life.
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Thanks, Garfield Hug. I’m sad I gave up all my creative endeavors for years. But then, I came back to them. I feel more balanced and at peace when I can turn to them.
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I am glad you did come back to it. I guess in different stages of our life, some things take more precedence than others and when we have the time, we can go back to it. Enjoy your creativity!
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Thanks, and I’m glad you’re here, too.
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