AUTHOR: Monica Lee TITLE: What I learned from the Street DATE: 8:12 AM ----- BODY:

As I returned from my last trade show of the summer, I looked at my portfolio with fresh eyes. I had seen a lot of art and new product this year and I had been wondering where my art fit in. My agent and I had a lot of solid leads and I had almost become overwhelmed at creating presentation to fit each company. I felt a familiar discomfort with this emotion, it came from the days of my greeting card company-you get involved in an industry and you find yourself chasing trends instead of creating something unique and if you are lucky, original. So I asked myself what makes me unique? To answer this I jotted down a list of all the things I loved. (Things not people, can’t have that list too long). What a fun exercise, here is a bit of my list; Peter Rabbit Brambley Hedge vintage fabrics red and white early readers grandmas house Chinese jump rope popart childhood I saw a theme in anything that had to do with the comforts of being small and learning everything new. When I was a young girl, I adored Sesame Street. I loved that it is joyful and clever. It was and still is sweet, happy and funny. I could have lived my whole life on that street. Even when I was young I admired the creative people it took to produce this program. It taught me the best lessons: That you should care about the people around you That it is OK to be a grouch That Ernie gets it and Burt doesn’t That Big Bird’s innocence is really wisdom As I write this Luke and I are watching Sesame Street- I think he likes that I can give a running commentary of all my favorite things…like the letter J and the number 4 and of course, my favorite muppet, Grover. Whose your favorite? What are are some of your favorite things…let them inspire you today! (PS I love Paris with Tom!)

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