Dr. Seuss' Birthday! ;-)

          A window that I painted for Christmas, for a friend of mine, of the Grinch.

   Dr. Seuss was born, today, March 2, 1904. He was one of the most talented artists, and creator of children's books with his own unique style.  As an artist, myself, he has inspired me in all kinds of ways with my own artwork.  As an artist, you are only limited by your imagination, and you an take it anywhere, and twist reality in many ways to make things that you, yourself, wonder where they came from.  My talent is a gift from God, and I don't care how a scientist or medical person tries to explain how you do a talent~you can't.  You can mimic in all kinds of ways, artwork~but it is God who give a person talented in such a way, that gift. There is no way I can take credit for my talents~especially art.  I can't even explain where I begin, but God gives me the gift. There's no scientific way to explain talents you are born with. Dr. Seuss, with his art, is such an example, that it is hard to explain how his mind worked. He created wild worlds for kids to explore, and relate. The animals and people in his books look similar to us, but they are not human~nor are his animals real animals. His imagination has taken kids and adults everywhere, and taught morals, and educated along the way.
   Something about artists, they never really grow up.  They may act mature in lots of ways, but they are almost always a child at heart. I'm sure Dr. Seuss never really grew up.  I was given advice, when helping to illustrate a children's book, myself:  If you really want to write a good children's book and illustrate it well, draw and write something that you'll enjoy, yourself.  Don't draw and write specifically for that age group, or you will mess up every time. Draw and write something that is dear to your heart, that you would love to read, and look at the pictures, and you will have a best-selling children's book every single time. Draw and write it from the heart.
   If you look at all the popular artists and writers who have done children's books and things children will love, this statement is true.  Dr. Seuss was drawing characters he loved, and poetry that was his style, and eventually he captured the hearts of kids around the world. He still does. Charles Schultz, A.A. Milne, Roald Dahl, James Howe, Beverly Cleary, and many others, just drew and wrote things that they enjoyed themselves, and kids everywhere still love their books and movies.
  Just reading a Dr. Seuss book makes your imagination run wild! If you have artist's block, reading one of his books opens your imagination, no matter what your style of art is. Yes, I still read Dr. Seuss books, still read the comics page, buy comic books now and then, watch Saturday morning cartoons, and occasionally will pick up a good children's book to read.  Am I crazy? No, not really. It's the adults who write and draw the children's books, cartoons, etc. If it weren't for adults doing this, there would be no children's literature nor Saturday morning cartoons.  Dr. Seuss paved the way for writers and artist's today.  He really took us where no man, nor child has gone before, and we loved it!
  So, stop doing what you are doing. Download a good children's book from your childhood, that you enjoyed, on your Kindle, iPad, or just go buy the book again in a bookstore somewhere. Look at all the things you used to enjoy, and enjoy them again. It's alright. If you enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with it. It at least made you smile. It will probably even bring back a good memory or two. It doesn't make you any less of an adult by doing that. After all, it was written by an adult. Go buy The Cat in the Hat, or Green Eggs and Ham, or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and enjoy them again, in a new way. Begin to dream again!  I'm sure Dr. Seuss wrote his books for young and old, alike, so that they could laugh, and always keep on dreaming!