Some days the world can seem so big. Occasionally we feel like we’re biting off more than we can chew.
Most of the time, to address these feelings, we simply need to take a deep breath and settle in to how we want to present our own story.
We all have our own stories to tell. Sometimes it can be hard to find the best way to share them. And it’s just as important to listen to the stories of others.
I’d been feeling a little overwhelmed by some tasks in my life recently. To quiet my anxiety I flipped through some children’s books I’d acquired over the past few years. Children’s book authors and illustrators are the best at helping us get in touch with the more simple times of our youth, and occasionally helping with getting through some of the tough situations that life throws at us, even as youngsters.
One of the first books I picked up was “One Love.” The cheerful illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, and the words of Bob Marley, which the book is based on, lifted my spirits. It reminded me that no matter how different we are, or whether our opinions on matters vary, we are all united in that one great LOVE. We are united in story. It is a story of life and how we are all connected in it. We just need to look at the beauty of it more often than focusing on the ugliness that can crop up.
My illustration for today’s post is done in pencil and white chalk on toned paper.
View more of Vanessa’s lovely work in the link I provided, and also on her facebook page.
Become part of the narrative and be united in story with those around you.