Through The Eyes Of A Child

12 July 2024 2024 267 Views

have been thinking back to my first experiences with creativity recently... one in particular always stands out.

I participated in my very first art show at age 4 and although I have very selective memories from the experience, and really none creating the artwork, I know it helped to shape my approach to creativity.

"In 2008 when his 4 year old daughter inspired him with her raw uninhibited freedom of expression, and he spent the next 10 weeks attempting to tap back into the childlike approach to creating. This experiment resulted in the "Through the Eyes of a Child" exhibit."

(About my Dad, Alex Radin)

This Artist on Fire art show featured 100 paintings by Alex Radin and several of my drawings alongside his pieces, that inspired the show. (You can still read the announcment in the Post and Courier!)

All that being said, I many remmeber it more from the pictures than my own experience but here are a few of my personal reflections on the exhibit and it's effect on my life.

1. Creativity & being Childlike.

Something I've learned throughout the years is that we cannot lose the childlike heart. We must protect it at all costs. I love the fact that my creativity and chlidlikness inspired my Dad to create this series. To this day I believe creativity and being childlike come hand in hand. There's something about entering into being like a kid that reactivates our creativity in a profound way. A kid isn't constantly afraid of what others think, they're not worried about money, or a career, or relationships. They are able to just freely be themselves without a care in the world. When the stress of life catches up to us, I think it's time for us to get backi to being a kid again. I find that It's often when I'm just playing around and laughing with my siblings that a new idea forms and we end up starting some project or getting inspired to go make a previous idea come to life. It certianly does not come when I'm worried about my future or what people think of me.

2. Family.

Family has always been importiant to us. My family puts a very high value on togetherness and doing things together. In my opinion, that has honestly been one of the best decisions we've ever made. It's crazy how simply growing and learning as a unit rather than seperately makes such a difference and I've experienced the truth of that. This show (and really any other show or event we've ever done) is no exception. We all had a part to play in making it come to life. My Mom really knows how to see the big picture and how all the little bits and pieces come together. My Dad is a creative genius and always coming up with new ideas and concepts. Both are good on their own, but let me just say, WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER? That's where you get something incredible. As our family has grown, each unique person brings something different to the table, that I believe, just keeps adding on to the superpower that is us working as a team to create something.

In Luke 11:17 it says "But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls."

When we are together, that's when we really shine. Even the things that are seemingly us on our own really all have bits and pieces of all of us. Inspire Joy for example, while primarily being my brand, behind the scenes has really been influenced by conversations around the table asking everyone's opinions on designs and getting fresh inspiration from the members of my family. Even when we are trying to do something "on our own" I think we end up enlisting each other's expertise without even realizing it because that has become our culture. And I love it.

3. You are never too young to accomplish great things.

This one!!! I live my life with this statment as a constant in my brain. I think one of the main ways this was instilled in me was the fact that I participated in a professional setting, alongside adults, from a very young age. My parents have always been encouragers and have always pushed me to go after the dreams in my heart. They have constantly supported me and the crazy Ideas I've had and this is so importiant: They believed in me, and still do. You can support someone but not fully believe they will be able to do it. I've seen this situation so many times. Here's what I think:

If you know somone doesn't believe in you, YOU are more likley to not believe. And if YOU don't believe, more often than not, you won't accomplish anything, because unbelief kills creativity. It's so importiant to have people surrounding you who can see the vision and believe with you and that's exactly what my parents do. When I was really young I had no concept of the idea that I was too young to do something because my parents, the main people I trusted, the main people I knew who loved me, and the main people I listened to, never told me that. In fact, later in life if anyone ever did say something like that, I didn't even let it take root, because I knew my parents encouraged me in the opposite. And I knew God did.

“Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, 'I am too young. ' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you." Jeremiah 1: 6-8

and 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity"