I have the pleasure on some weekends to have a play date with one of my favorite 6-year olds, Ava Hasson, who adores arts and crafts and couples her artistic talent with a wild imagination.   Whether we are playing charades (for children) or pulling out her paint set, Ava’s creative talent quickly surfaces. Ava’s brush stroke is clean and uninhibited and if you ask her to paint a butterfly she takes it to the next step and delivers something very special–a flower and a caterpillar.  Last week, we played charades.  It was Ava’s turn and she stood tall and resolute with arms and legs open in a x-shape.  Everyone spoke out–“tree”, “fence”, “stop sign” with no success.  So Ava laid her body on the floor with arms and legs open in a x-shape again and gave us a hint–” I am at the bottom of the ocean”.  Her Mom, of course, had the aha moment.  So my dear little “Starfish”, I look forward to our next play date.

I wholeheartedly agree with what Picasso famously said, “every child is an artist.  The problem is to how to remain an artist when [we] grow up. “