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Childhood Hues
#WritcoStoryPrompt110
Write a story about a moment when you were entirely absorbed in a certain activity. Moments that attracted you, for example.

During a summer from my childhood, I was wholly captivated by the art of painting. On one sun-drenched afternoon, when the air carried the sweet fragrance of newly blossomed flowers, I, a ten-year-old with budding artistic aspirations, experienced a moment of pure absorption.

In our backyard, my parents had thoughtfully set up a makeshift art studio for me. An easel proudly displayed a blank canvas, eagerly awaiting the touch of my imagination. My mother handed me a palette teeming with a rainbow of colors, and my brushes awaited their call to action.

Filled with anticipation, I dipped my brush into a pool of cobalt blue and began to paint. The world around me faded away as I swept broad strokes across the canvas, creating a vast cerulean sky. The warmth of the sun on my skin seemed to elevate me to a place where I could reach out and touch the heavens with my strokes.

The canvas transformed with each passing moment, as my sky grew richer in hue. It was as if I had cast a spell upon the canvas, conjuring the very essence of the sky itself. The world beyond the canvas ceased to exist, and I was consumed by the process of creation.

With the sky complete, my focus shifted to the centerpiece of my artwork – a majestic oak tree. Each brushstroke extended its branches, reaching skyward with unwavering strength. As I painted, I marveled at the way the colors blended and mingled on the canvas, breathing life into the tree. It stood before me, a testament to the beauty that could emerge from my imagination.

Time lost all meaning as I painted that tree. The distant sounds of lawnmowers, chirping birds, and neighborhood children at play served as a distant backdrop to my artistic reverie. Nothing could distract me; I was wholly absorbed in my craft.

Stepping back to survey my work, I saw the tree in all its glory – a symbol of life and resilience against the backdrop of a vibrant sky. Yet, I sensed that something was missing, a final touch to breathe even more life into my creation.

With renewed determination, I picked up a brush loaded with the most vivid colors from my palette. Carefully, I added flowers, each one bursting with vibrant reds, yellows, and purples, to the meadow beneath the tree. They danced across the canvas, their petals seeming to sway in the breeze. I could almost hear them sharing secrets with one another.

As I painted those flowers, I was transported to a world of magic and color, where each brushstroke held the power to create and transform. My heart raced with excitement as I added the final touches, each one infusing the painting with energy and life.

When I took that final step back and gazed upon my completed masterpiece, a profound sense of accomplishment washed over me. I had poured my heart and soul into that canvas, and it had rewarded me with a glimpse into a world of pure creativity and wonder.

That summer afternoon, I learned the true meaning of absorption – a state where time loses its grip, and the world fades into insignificance, leaving only the joy of creation. It was a moment that etched itself into my memory, a reminder that when we immerse ourselves in something we love, the world around us can vanish, and the magic of creation can unfold on canvas or in any endeavor that ignites our passion.


© Logan Saltsman