Every Child Is an Artist

Somewhere along the way, we all lose something precious. Not our curiosity or our imagination entirely—but the freedom to wield them without fear. My thoughts on this come from a quote I saw recently from Picasso. 'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.' That problem feels especially loud in college, where 'growing up' is the anthem, and creativity often takes a back seat to practicality.

When you’re a kid, everything feels infinite. The world’s a blank canvas, and you’re the artist, splattering colors with reckless abandon. There’s no fear of getting it wrong because, honestly, who cares? It’s fun. But then you grow up, and suddenly, you’re surrounded by critiques—grades, social expectations, career plans. The canvas gets smaller, the colors muted. Somewhere along the way, "What if?" turns into "What’s realistic?"

In college, it’s easy to forget that creativity isn’t just painting or playing music. It’s how you approach the world—how you solve problems, connect ideas, or even imagine what’s possible. But we’re so busy "adulting" that we rarely give ourselves the space to create for the sake of creating. Everything has to be monetized, optimized, or turned into a resume bullet point. It’s exhausting.

The thing is, Picasso’s quote isn’t just about keeping your inner artist alive—it’s about fighting for it. Because staying creative as an adult isn’t effortless; it’s a deliberate choice. It’s carving out time to doodle in the margins, even if your to-do list is screaming at you. It’s being curious about things that have no "real-world application," just because they spark something in you. It’s allowing yourself to be messy, to fail, to experiment.

I’ve been trying to practice this more, to unlearn some of the rigidity that comes with growing up. It’s not easy, especially in a world that values productivity over play. But every now and then, I’ll write something purely because I feel like it. Reread a Magic Tree House book cause I saw one on my childhood bookshelf (highly recommend this btw). I’ll daydream about the clothing brand I want to start, sketching out ideas without worrying if they’ll sell.

These little moments feel like breadcrumbs back to that childlike sense of wonder—a reminder that I don’t have to have everything figured out to create something meaningful.

What’s wild is how much this shift in mindset changes the way you see the world. Suddenly, everything feels a little brighter, a little less rigid. You start to notice the beauty in small things—the way sunlight filters through your dorm window, the rhythm of footsteps on the sidewalk, the random conversations that spark new ideas. It’s like seeing the world through a kid’s eyes again, but with the wisdom of knowing how rare and precious that perspective is.

So here’s my take: Growing up doesn’t mean giving up your inner artist. It just means protecting it. It means finding ways to keep that spark alive, even when life tries to snuff it out. Because at the end of the day, the world doesn’t need more people who have it all figured out. It needs more people who are willing to dream, to play, to create—just for the love of it.

Over and out,
Alex