21. Where is your child self right now?

And what do they need?

Maurice Sendak, in a 1966 interview with The New Yorker, talked about his relationship with his childhood self, still existing on some parallel plane.

I don’t believe, in a way, that the kid I was grew up into me. He still exists somewhere ... I have a tremendous concern for him and interest in him. I communicate with him—or try to—all the time. One of my worst fears is losing contact with him … at least once a day I feel I have to make contact.

The pleasures I get as an adult are heightened by the fact that I experience them as a child at the same time. Like, when autumn comes, as an adult I welcome the departure of the heat, and simultaneously, as a child would, I start anticipating snow and the first day it will be possible to use a sled.

This dual apperception does break down occasionally. That usually happens when my work is going badly. I get a sour feeling about books in general and my own in particular. The next stage is annoyance at my dependence on this dual apperception, and I reject it. Then I become depressed.

When excitement about what I'm working on returns, so does the child, and we're on happy terms again.

~Maurice Sendak

So a small question for you, Artist, in this moment…

I hope you can find a pause to make contact and get on happy terms again.

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This post is brought to you by my new book A COZY WINTER DAY 💛