As kids, we instinctively knew the power of asking, “I wonder if I can…?”
“I wonder if I can color on my bedroom wall?”
“I wonder if I can find worms under this rock?”
“I wonder if I can make Billy’s chocolate pudding come out of his nose?”
Not every experiment turned out well. A few got us grounded. But all taught us something.
Years ago, I took the above picture in my garage, after asking, “I wonder if I can make a few pieces of string look like something you’d discover far out across the Universe?”
That question led me to spend countless hours tinkering in the dark, running to the store for a different flashlight (my lighting system) or new pieces of string. 99% of my attempts were feeble, but others filled me with joy:
A few more years passed. I bought a house here in Park City, Utah. It had lots of empty walls. Big walls. After a year of searching local art galleries and not being willing to pay their $5,000+ price for a piece of art, I got over my self-doubt and decided to print and hang one of my own photos.
You have no idea how long it took me to work up the courage—yes, courage—to spend $400 printing a piece of my own art.
I now have about eight pieces hanging in my house. The biggest is a triptych, three images that collectively total ten feet in height; they fill the stairway wall between my first and second floors. Now, they give me courage… to experiment, to dip my toes into new areas even though I am an absolute beginner in that space.
When we adopt a “I wonder if I can…” mindset, we open ourselves to learning and great adventures. If you haven’t tried on this mindset in a while, now might be a good time to do so.
Many thanks for reading, and I always welcome your thoughts and ideas!
Cheers,
Bruce
"I wonder if I can...." leads to "Why not?" and things happen.