A BACKPACK WITH WINGS

There is a young seven-year-old girl walking across a fallen log, her arms stretched from her side as she balances. She has a denim jacket and a bright red backpack and she’s walking with such confidence you know her backpack has wings. She is flying. Everything she needs is in that pack.

There is a three-year-old sitting in a tall ladder-back chair swinging her feet, playfully. New red canvas tennis shoes with bright white laces. You can hear her laces swing and click against the shoes. She stares down at her magical shoes, knowing they allow her to walk on clouds.

As artists, we need our magical tools, too. I went and bought my magic backpack with wings, an off-brand camel pack that can carry my water on hikes and still fit my un-lined Moleskine journal. In my backpack, I often have a box of 64 Crayola Crayons, a zippered bag of bright markers, and sketching pencils. And like the child-inspired images, my pack is red.

Make a magic kit or backpack to take on creative journeys.

Kim is the founder of Essentials Massage & Yoga in Marquette, MI. Visit https://essentialsmassageandyoga.com/.

Reprinted with permission from the Spring 2008 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. All rights reserved.