The legendary British TV presenter and biologist David Attenborough was once asked how he became so curious about the natural world.
His answer was beautiful. He said: “All children are inherently curious about nature. So the question is (how does) anyone lose their interest in nature?
I love that quote, because it’s so true.
We’re all curious about the natural world when we’re young. But as we grow up and grow older it can become increasingly difficult to recreate that sense of wonder we had as a child. But it’s so important to remain curious. As Kafka wrote, “anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”
The image I’ve chosen today represents the curiosity of childhood. We see a young girl, accompanied by her dog and cat, examining what appears to be a toad.
The cat hides behind the girl’s back, but the dog looks like he’s ready to investigate. The girl is looking very intently at the toad, fully focused. She’s on her knees, even though she’s wearing a white dress. And she’s probably getting her hands dirty.
This is what curiosity is all about, discovering things that we cannot fully understand or classify. Realizing that the world is full of new things to be experienced, and feeling it all intensely.
And isn’t the same true for Art? Creating and encountering Art requires curiosity. As the art critic Helen Molesworth wrote, “Art is a practice of investigation, married to the human capacity and drive toward play.” You cannot create Art unless you cultivate curiosity, and you cannot take it in unless you remain curious.
In sum, Art promotes curiosity.
As Picasso once said -foreshadowing David Attenborough’s quote-, “Every Child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up.”
Never stop being curious.
Julian
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PS: anybody notice the fly?!
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