I came into the city today by train and sat next to a young girl, late teens, pierced and tattooed. She had blond hair imposed upon dark, tight plaits. Her cheeks were scarred with acne and looked feverish. She was texting.
Initially, she drew away from me as I sat down. She put away her phone eventually and then started drawing on her white sneakers. I glanced over and thought the drawings were pretty good and told her so. She looked over at me, startled, "Do you think so?" Her eyes were dark and expressive, like deep pools.
Totally, I said, I especially loved the eyes she painted there. And I meant it, very textured and very lovely. She told me that she has always loved eyes and she's been drawing them for as long as she can remember.
"Are you an artist?" I asked her. She laughed, "No, but I want to be."
"Do you have a blog or some way to share your work with others, say around the world?"
She said that she wanted to get into college and she would start her blog there. I told her that I thought it was important to share her dreams and her visions with the world.
"The world", I said to her, "is full of rampant negativity right now. It's important to rise above all of this and to look to the positive. And to share this vision with others from around the world".
She agreed with me.
I told her that I had just joined a Facebook group that brought together street photographers from all over the world. I told her how cool it was to see their visions, and to share my own. I told her that I have always gone my own way in life, and that sometimes this has brought me into opposition with my family and with society but I always stuck to my guns, and guess what? I'm pretty happy right now.
I told her that "you guys" would be inheriting this place and it was important to make sure your voice was heard. We fell silent after that. She kept drawing on her shoes and I was lost in my thoughts of photography.
When my stop came I told her how much I enjoyed talking to her and she looked at me and said "Yeah, I feel the same way."
I told her to NEVER stop dreaming. She nodded. I touched her arm briefly, and left the train.
Initially, she drew away from me as I sat down. She put away her phone eventually and then started drawing on her white sneakers. I glanced over and thought the drawings were pretty good and told her so. She looked over at me, startled, "Do you think so?" Her eyes were dark and expressive, like deep pools.
Totally, I said, I especially loved the eyes she painted there. And I meant it, very textured and very lovely. She told me that she has always loved eyes and she's been drawing them for as long as she can remember.
"Are you an artist?" I asked her. She laughed, "No, but I want to be."
"Do you have a blog or some way to share your work with others, say around the world?"
She said that she wanted to get into college and she would start her blog there. I told her that I thought it was important to share her dreams and her visions with the world.
"The world", I said to her, "is full of rampant negativity right now. It's important to rise above all of this and to look to the positive. And to share this vision with others from around the world".
She agreed with me.
I told her that I had just joined a Facebook group that brought together street photographers from all over the world. I told her how cool it was to see their visions, and to share my own. I told her that I have always gone my own way in life, and that sometimes this has brought me into opposition with my family and with society but I always stuck to my guns, and guess what? I'm pretty happy right now.
I told her that "you guys" would be inheriting this place and it was important to make sure your voice was heard. We fell silent after that. She kept drawing on her shoes and I was lost in my thoughts of photography.
When my stop came I told her how much I enjoyed talking to her and she looked at me and said "Yeah, I feel the same way."
I told her to NEVER stop dreaming. She nodded. I touched her arm briefly, and left the train.