I love the summer holidays in Australia
Time to catch up with my little nieces and nephews
And discover what’s been happening in their life
To learn valuable lessons from them
Watching them grow up physically
And mentally
It’s great
‘Fresh Tropical Fruit Juice’ by Simon Brushfield (2013) Acrylic & Oil on paper 21cm x 23cm Unframed $450
Together we go on amazing journeys together. Spending hours of quality time exploring the mind. All we need is a couple of basic props, a little encouragement, and the amazing imagination of a child
“Simon do you wanna play with me?”
My four-year-old nephew asked with contagious excitement
“Love to” I replied
The next few hours in the backyard was a highlight of my holidays, and my young nephew was totally enthralled
Without a shade of doubt, we became superheros
One moment we were fighting water aliens. The next we were seeking refuge in the ‘safe house’ preparing to fight the enemy, discussing our next battle strategy
But here’s the really cool thing…
The ‘safe house’ wasn’t a $500 DIY retail cubby house from Ikea
Ours was much better
It existed in the mind
In a child’s imagination there are no limits
The situation was so real in my partners imagination
It meant life and death
As my nephew explained the terrifying situation confronting us, his eyes were wide open thrilled with excitement, eyebrows raised in awe for the challenge ahead
The ‘safe house’ was simply two boogie boards on the backyard.
But it was a comforting refuge for fearless freedom fighters, you see, superheros regularly return to the ‘safe house’ to receive more power, and this was done by sticking ones little finger where the hand strap connects to the boogie board
Oh, and of course, I was given a nickname
It alluded to the prestige of our imaginary game for superheros
Therefore, our names had to be…
‘Golden Crystal’
The logic made total sense to a 4 year old, so I went along with it
Of course, the superhero is always victorious in battle, and Golden Crystal was no exception
So for the rest of the day, after the game finished, we referred to each other with our proper superhero names
“Want a drink Golden Crystal?”
And at dinner time…
“Pass me the sauce Golden Crystal”
Then watching television on the couch…
“Can I sit next to you Golden Crystal?”
Together, we were superheros for a day
But not your usual mainstream superheros. Not the variety found in comic strips, or at the movies in tights and a cape. This was a special variety of superhero
Entirely original
With unique special powers, used to defeat the enemy
Complimented by a superbly imaginative never ending sub plot
Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
A four-year-olds imagination is wild
It’s wonderful to spend time with someone whos creativity is flourishing
Uninhibited by rational thought
No limits or restrictions
And zero logic
Very inspiring
An incredibly engaging storyline was created from a few very basic props
The superheros traveled into space on a rocket (a chair and a towel)
Jumped off high cliffs (from the small balcony)
Conquered the water aliens (in the backyard)
Flew in helicopters (with a paddle)
Slayed dragons (with a paddle)
And got saved by baby Jesus on a boogie board
When exhaustion arrived we repowered energy from the ultimate life source (a boogie board)
Whoa…what a day!
The amazing life of Golden Crystal
A true superhero
Here’s the important lesson I learnt from my wildly creative adventure. Grown ups often forget this, but it’s essential for all ages…
The importance of play
To let go
And relax
Cut loose
And have some imaginary fun
Go wherever you’re taken
Just step in for the ride of your life, and see what happens
Enjoy the surprising unpredictability and raw power of a childlike imagination
Just amazing
Imagination is for all people to enjoy
For those not afraid to enjoy the irrational
At any age, we can become engrossed by a healthy fantasy
Where nothing makes sense
And anything could happen
It’s incredibly exciting
And pure
A real journey for the innocent at heart
Step into another world
Be like Picasso
And nurture the child within
Because here’s the amazing truth…
Some people may never tell you this, but I want you to consider this reality…
Right now, to someone in your life, from their perspective, you’re a superhero to them
Click here to visit Simon Brushfield’s wildly imaginative abstract world and purchase a recent original painting
