Through the Eyes of a Child

"I used to draw like Rafael, but it's taken me a whole lifetime to learn to draw like a child." Pablo Picasso

In his book, The Politics of Creativity, Finley Eversole writes: In our society, at the age of five, 90 percent of the population measures 'high creativity'.  By the age of seven, the figure has dropped to 10 percent. And the percentage of adults with high creativity is only two percent!" Most of us as adults struggle to stay creative. Eversole says 98% of us fall short.  I wonder, is it that we have actually lost our creativity, or perhaps we have forgotten how to look at the world through the eyes of a child?

My husband and I had a chance to take a trip to Tennessee and North Carolina to visit two of our daughters and babysit our grandchildren while their parents took a few days off.  Spending extended time with the little ones gave us the opportunity to pull our inner child out of the musty corner, and participate in viewing life through the eyes of a child....actually the eyes of  four of them, all under the age of 4 1/2. 
We went exploring, discovering, inquiring, inventing and creating. We made tall mountains with play dough, splashed around in the plastic wading pool, built  giant Lego castles, sipped tea from the pink princess tea set, and sang songs about a hippopotamus named Gus and a fuzzy wuzzy fox. It was two weeks full of creative play and wonderment, and it reminded me of what I almost forgot.

On morning walks I must pay more attention to the straw in the cement cracks, I must be more careful not to step on the tiny spider on the walkway, to listen closely if I want to hear the birds telling secrets, to look up in wonder at every airplane flying high. I mustn't forget that bubbles and butterflies are for chasing,  and you can't snap too many pictures of pretty pink and coral roses...and of course don't ever forget to stop and sniff them; even if it means walking right up on the neighbors porch to do it.  Don't worry about washing the fresh strawberries in the garden before sticking them in your mouth, even if you noticed worms squiggling around them in the dirt. 

If there's an adventure to be had, there's no time to concern yourself  about whether your hair needs to be combed, if your clothes match, or even whether they are clean. No counting calories; only counting cars, rocks, blocks, books and french-fries   Blankets are best when they're used for peek a boo or building forts. Desserts are better if you have two of them, and you can eat breakfast for dinner, or dinner for breakfast anytime.  Always read the storybook with your whole heart, and don't skip any pages... little minds know.  I almost forgot that coming down steps on your bottom, is more fun than using your feet, and if you splash too much and get soppin wet, your clothes will dry.  Mistakes are accidents and that's ok...even big mistakes.  Using all the colors in the crayon box is best and butterfly kisses still make me giggle. 

Like all magical journeys, they finally end. It was the last morning at one of our children's homes and I was sitting out on the patio with my four year old granddaughter, both of us putting our thoughts in our journals, with legs resting up on chairs.  My granddaughter looked up at me with her big round beautiful blue eyes and smiled, "Granma, look!  Our legs are making bridges! 

It's such fun seeing the world through the eyes of a child!

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