You know I spend most of my days on the rhythms of poetry and the imaginative world of children’s books. But even words need a rest sometimes. When I find my pen stuttering or my thoughts feeling a bit too tangled in syntax, I turn to painting and drawing.

I’m often asked what drives me to pick up the brush when my “job” is words. For me, painting is a silent conversation. It allows me to explore the same emotions I put into my stories, but without the pressure of finding the “right” word. It’s my way of breathing in color so I can eventually exhale more stories.

This intersection of color and word inspired me to write a new piece specifically about the restless, beautiful nature of creative souls and the internal pull that leads us to create. Whether you use a brush, a pen, or just your imagination, this one is for you:

Creative Soul

Sometimes I wonder
why I’m driven to paint.
Why do I create?
Does the world need another painting?
Is my stroke of blue more Cerulean? 
Is my Veridian a deeper green?
Are my brush strokes beyond measure?

If I died tomorrow 
would the world miss
what my creative soul conjures?
The answer is no.
Not even a little bit.
But I would miss painting.
I’d feel the loss 
of the blank page,
the finished work,
and the gentle swirls 
in between.

And so, I paint.
Today, 
tomorrow,
until my last breath.
I will create with abandon,
not for any other reason
than painting brings color to my world,
like a cardinal 
that wings a splash of crimson
across a pale winter sky.

©Danna Smith at Poeterypop.com January 31, 2026. All rights reserved.

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