My mom was always supportive of me drawing. She would always keep me supplied with plenty of pencils. I never really had a hard time requesting paper either. But, we were not rich, and the supply was limited. I remember using a pencil up until it was so small it I could no longer grip it between my writing fingers. It's amazing how when you have little, you make the best of it. And when you are abundant with things, you tend to take some for granted.
The Doctor Is Out
When I was a kid I also dreamed of being a doctor, but that dream was squashed like an intrusive cockroach. I was hospitalized when I was younger and the needle prodding and poking turned me away from wanting to pursue medicine. Mom always supported me nonetheless.
Curious George
I was about eight years old when she bought me a doctor's toy kit. It was this blue case that held inside all the things that doctors used, except for needles. I don't think there were any in there, or at least I blocked it out of my mind. I tend to do that with things I strongly dislike. Science and biology, on the other hand, I loved. In class, I would always read ahead in the text books because I didn't have the patience of waiting on the teacher's assignment schedules. It was always just so much fun to learn new things. I sometimes laugh at myself because even now as an adult I still have the same curiosity.
Moving Forward
If I could give anyone anything it would be the gift of curiosity. If they don't have it that is. It is one of the things that keeps me sane and in turn, happy. The ability to stay curious allows me to see things differently. That doesn't only come from being an artist but it from being open to new ideas, new suggestions, new ways of doing things. When we open our minds and exert the curiosity that children possess, we evolve; we learn, and in doing so we move miles away from the person we used to be.