Written by When it comes to miniature, our prompt for today, my mind went to a pair of baby shoes. I just think they’re super cute, though I can’t remember back to when my own feet were actually this small. But, little shoes and the little people who wear them are the cutest creatures on the planet. Earlier today, we had a video call with our 4-year-old niece Alice in Paris and it was so much fun. She decided to paint for us in a live demonstration. This involved us giving her a prompt and then she would ask us to choose our favorite colors. All of this was in French, but thankfully, I at least know how to say the various colors and some animals. For my painting, I requested a bird in my two favorite colors, un oiseau orange et bleu, and she said, “d’accord” and set to work making one. It was so fun to watch her carefully choose her marks as she produced her mini masterpiece. And my sister-in-law reminded me that I’ll be painting with her in January, which will be the most amazing treat of all! That, and because Alice is going to help me learn more French as well while I’m there. I don’t think she has a clue how difficult that particular assignment will be, but she’s thrilled to help her linguistically-challenged American uncle.
Watching Alice paint, I’m reminded why I always suggest people paint like a kid again. She wasn’t shy about doing it, was absolutely certain she could do it properly, and was extremely proud of each and every result. It’s an enviable approach to be sure! It’s not always easy to silence the adult mind, but once we do so, everything else just gets so much easier. Today, my inner kid was excited to see snow! Well, it was actually a full blizzard that’s had up trapped indoors all afternoon. But, since we are safely inside, it’s been lovely to watch. I like not feeling like I have to rush off anywhere and just continue the laziness of my afternoon. Phineas, of course, is not happy about the weather at all, but has seemed to enjoy being curled up under a blanket on the couch all day. And part of me did wish that the snow had waited until tomorrow, so I could have a snow day off work like when I was a kid. Though, unlike back then, I would still have to work from home a bit, sort of killing that full sense of childhood freedom.
Even though we can’t really go back in time to when we were kids, it’s still a wonderful mindset to enjoy. And it’s lovely to have little kids in our lives to help remind us how to live it properly. I honestly don’t think I would have had the courage to show up each and every day had it not been for my inner child. My adult side often tells me that I should skip a day, especially when I’m feeling tired or not feeling particularly inspired. This voice tells me to only post doodlewashes and stories that are the absolute best. But, I’m never really sure what that means, since I only know if a story or illustration is interesting to other people after I’ve posted it. And after today, I just wanted to be like Alice when I grow up. I want to always have that limitless confidence and joyful spirit that makes anything possible. Even if my adult side doesn’t let me be as confident as I would like, my kid side is there to bring me that joy. So, if you have any suggestions of what you’d like me to paint next, let me know in the comments, along with your chosen colors! Life is more fun when we play and realize that most of the things that stop us from trusting our own innate talent are silly worries we can safely ignore. After all, they’re just tiny little things.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Vermilion, and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Your tiny shoes are adorable! I suppose that if we kept that sense of child-like self confidence we wouldn’t be driven to improve, but I suspect that we would anyway because we’d just DO!
hehe! Exactly! 😃💕 I think DOing is the adult version of that same thing. Of course, rather than feel that level of confidence, I just think to myself… meh… there’s always tomorrow! 😉
O! those tiny shoes. How they find their way straight to the heart!
Alice sounds perfectly precious.
As for what I’d like to see…everything you paint finds the perfect spot in my being,
but your suggestion that you would enjoy a suggestion had me closing my eyes and
seeing you smile as you paint a window. Of course it would be a Christmas window
but as much noted as such by the reflections in it as by any trim that might actually
show in the painting. Just a thought… I just really enjoy the glass you paint.
Thanks so much, Sarah! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed these tiny shoes! And I loved your suggestion… and I closed my own eyes a bit to reimagine it in tonight’s post! A window of sorts, at least! 😉
Sweet shoes, Charlie! And how wonderful to paint with the confidence of Alice and no inner critic…or any critic. The joy of being 4.
Thanks, Mary! 😃💕 Yes, it’s a known fact that 4 year olds have it all over us! hehe… Oh to be so confident! I thank my inner child for the ability to post each day!
Shoes are adorable! I’m looking forward to hearing more about Alice in future blogs. We just had our first Thanksgiving with our 14 week old granddaughter! It was pure joy.
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕 Awww a 14 week old… so adorable!! Love that! Yes, I’m sure Alice will be making many more appearances. She’s amazing, and we’ll be visiting her again in January!
I love baby shoes! A few years ago my niece was going to have a baby boy. A neighbor was having a garage sale and had baby clothes for cheap, so I bought a bunch of them. Then I discovered the timberline hiking boots for babies! They were so cute was tempted to keep them just to look at!
Hehe!! I know, right?? Baby shoes are the cutest things in the world!! 😃💕 I totally get what you mean… and tiny hiking boots? Beyond cute!!
This reminds me of a story that I’ve mentioned before, so forgive me if you’ve already heard it. A little girl asked her father what his job was. “I teach adults how to draw and paint,” he replied. You mean they forget? she said.
Let’s hope Alice never forgets and continues to paint with that same fearlessness!
That’s the best story in the entire world! 😃💕 I adore that. And it pretty much sums up the entire mission of Doodlewash to be sure! May we all never forget that we always knew how to paint!