Here’s Rumi. No one here now to play Bananagrams. So sad. Everyone left today.

When Krista Tippett gives her On Being interviews, one question she always asks is something like: “Can you tell me about your childhood experience of religion or spirituality.” She is looking for how that has influenced the interviewee’s life.

I hadn’t thought to ask myself that same question but in reference to art until the past few days.

This weekend, I got a lot of art work done: my art hangs in the same room where people gather to eat and talk and play board games. While I worked on my art, others were nearby focused on their own activity.

Parallel play. And yes, I did feel – in the most wonderful way – like a child.

It occurred to me that this felt similar to the sandpile when I was a child – the place where I would create worlds next to the worlds that my siblings were creating. We played next to each other. And magic happened.

I hadn’t touched on that particular feeling in a while, but I am sure it’s the source that drives my art. I would love to have my guests stay and stay. But more important, I would love to have my art take people to the sandpile. Drop everything for a moment. Can you feel it? It’s just play.