The Intersection of Childhood & Adulthood Illustrated

Just yesterday when I was sitting in my car at the supermarket, I saw a mother and her daughter pass by in the parking lot. The mother was on her cell phone and looked like she was in an intense conversation. She had a scowl on her face, and she was walking fast. Her daughter, who was about six years old, was trying to keep up and following behind.

The daughter was skipping and singing. She was looking up at the sky and had a huge smile on her face. It stood out to me because there was such a contrast between the mother and the daughter. As I watched them cross the parking lot, I started thinking about how serious we take our lives as adults. I can’t even remember the last time I skipped or sang out loud. Why is it that we become so serious and self-conscious as we get older?

As often time happens, when I ask these kinds of questions, I somehow find something related to it to write about. The collection below is called Missing Garden, and it shows the contrast between that mother and daughter. It’s the intersection of childhood and adulthood illustrated. Dominik Smialowski took these photographs and Monika Prus did the drawings. They are so nostalgic, and I can’t decide if they make me happy or sad. On Behance, Dominik writes, “It’s a modest rebellion against adult life and a small glorification of being a child.”