It’s funny how you can trace back your entire creative journey to one special moment. Let’s set the scene. I’m about six, it’s the early 80’s and I’m still young enough to be free and confident (hadn’t been at school too long). The Muppet show was a huge hit in our house and each week we would watch it altogether. Naturally I had colouring books of the Muppets too.
One Saturday afternoon, I wanted to hang out with my older sister, who was thirteen. I scooted up the hall to her room, but she didn’t want me to come in. Finding a solution, I grabbed my colouring book, my pencils and zoomed back up to the entrance of her room and set myself up on the floor at the doorway. I quietly settled into colouring, but got bored.
Grabbing a blank sheet of paper, I was determined to draw Miss Piggy myself. I didn’t stop, I didn’t give up, I just knuckled down and tried to replicate the image. I have no idea how long I worked on her, I was so absorbed in the act. When I finished and looked at the result I was elated! It was Miss Piggy. I was so excited I skipped through the house to find Mum. In the kitchen, Mum and Dad were having a cuppa with friends. I showed them all my drawing and they told me it was great and then got back to their chatter. Even though they didn’t get very invested in my excitement, I didn’t mind. I was beaming because I had discovered that I could draw. More importantly I had loved doing it! I was genuinely so proud of myself, it was enough. The act of creating itself and the intrinsic reward it brought was better than any external one. From that point on, I focused on drawing and my creative journey began.
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Susie Sotiropoulos 