Some Drawings and Some Words

Last year I went to a school where we wore uniforms. Due to observations, thoughts, and a wonderful class where all I had to do was listen to music and draw to my hearts content, this piece came to be. I started it over a year ago, it was taken up again and finished tonight.

The observations: Everyone in high school wants to fit in or stand out. What about just being yourself?

The thoughts: Everyone seems to want to be popular. Yet I was popular, and I didn't even like it very much. Everyone either wants to be you or doesn't want to be you, and they don't even know you. I must say, it's nice to be in a new school, where most people have no idea who I am, but enough people do for it to be happy.

The class: Drawing with Miss Fosse. Which meant drawing with Micheal Buble Christmas music playing in the background, Ingrid Michealson when I got to pick the tunes, and a certain noisy middle table that I got to enjoy from the side table without having to participate in their crazy conversations.

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Feel free to use the Huh? feedback button if needed. I would be amused, I'm not sure if this story makes sense myself. But if it does in fact make sense, I'd love to know that, too.

Maira Kalman & Marc Johns

Occasionally I happen upon an artist or a writer that I absolutely adore. Their words or their drawings remind me of myself, and looking at their works just make me happy, because it makes me think I'm not the only one who creates stuff like that! Once I found Maira Kalman, who used to have a column in the New York Times opinion pages called "The Principles of Uncertainty," which she ended up turning into a book. Everything she creates is so simple but so inspiring to me. Here is a sample of her loveliness:

And I just found another person who's drawings just make me happy. I don't know, its just that I absolutely love drawing, but I never do anything extravagant, or super realistic or anything, I just draw very simple stuff. My favorite thing to do is draw pictures for song lyrics. I'll show you what I mean in just a second.

So, this new man's name is Marc Johns. I find him to be fascinating. Ah the random thoughts he comes up with! See look --

Yes, fascinating is a good word for Marc Johns. I just want to go look at all of his pictures.

Now about drawings for song lyrics. I love my music, especially the words. And sometimes I just love a lyric so much that I just have to draw a picture of it. Like this--

Music of The Day: The inspiration for my drawings! Ghost of Corporate Future by Regina Spektor. Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers. If I Die Young by The Band Perry.

Inspiration of The Day: Maira Kalman and Marc Johns, of course.

Le Petit Prince

Sometimes I draw pictures for my favorite books and songs. It helps to do something besides write words about them. In French class we read The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Its a lovely little book about thinking like a child does. Or is it about love verses lust? Or taking care of the things that you tame? We spent a week on each chapter, discussing every possible meaning. Or maybe it wasn't meant to mean something deep, maybe it is just a simple story of a pilot and a prince. Or maybe it is one of the deepest books I have ever read for school. Read it, and decide you yourself (you can read it for free online). It's a wonderful little book. Getting to read in french was quite fun.

There happens to be a Regina Spektor song inspired by The Little Prince (and I love Regina Spektor). Its called Baobabs.

“People where you live," the little prince said, "grow five thousand roses in one garden... yet they don't find what they're looking for...

They don't find it," I answered.

And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water..."

Of course," I answered.

And the little prince added, "But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.”

-Le Petit Prince