11 Jul Stepping into Our Creations
I remember the way the book looked: dark blue with embossed white text. The cover of the book showed two children walking along a winding path, as if they were inviting you to tag along with them to learn about the stories contained within the pages. Our elementary school teacher would call on students to read paragraphs aloud, bringing each of the short stories to life,
On this particular day, we were reading a tale about a painter in ancient China. The painter was commissioned by the emperor to create a landscape so beautiful and realistic that the emperor would feel as though he could step right into it.
The painter, a master of his craft, spent weeks absorbing every detail of the landscape the emperor wanted him to recreate. He observed how the mountains kissed the sky, the way the mist floated in the morning light, how the birds looked when they sang, and how dew glistened on delicate flowers.
Once he felt familiar with every detail, the painter began his work. And after some time, he unveiled his stunning masterpiece. Mountains soared majestically, clouds drifted dreamily, water cascaded as if it would flow off the canvas, and a cave was nestled mysteriously among the shadows of the trees. The painting was alive with beauty, every detail vibrant and true.
The painter, proud of his creation, eagerly awaited the emperor’s praise. But as the emperor scrutinized the painting, dissatisfaction marred his face. He sighed heavily and shook his head, his frustration palpable. The emperor deemed the painting a failure and considered having the painter executed in his anger.
In that moment, the painter did something extraordinary. He approached his beloved creation, stepped inside, and vanished from sight. The painter had escaped into his own masterpiece.
Our teacher discussed this allegory with us, emphasizing that the value of our creations does not depend on external validation. When we create something that we love, that is enough.
“You can always live inside of it,” she said with a smile.
Sometimes, the true beauty of creation is finding a place where we can step inside and feel at home.