Welcome everyone. It’s nice to see you again, even if I can’t exactly see you. This week, a new illustration and writing, from a place that does not exist, but somehow, also does. Thank you, as always, for joining me here.
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This tree does not exist.
The city behind it does not exist, though the buildings likely do, in a place we visited, or one we did not visit but imagined we might.
I have been here, in my dreams. My mind tells me that there is a tree in this place, and that I stood under it. Or else, that I stood under a tree like this one, in a forest that might have been a city. Or in a city that might have been a forest. Or in a world where a city is always part forest, part green tea bar, part office with a view. Part playground, part microbrewery, part dance club.
Whatever it is, wherever it was, it was here, for a moment, even if only on a page. One with very detailed instructions, on how to get from here, to there. And if it did exist on that page, if someone wrote it down, then it must still be here, and there, for once an idea is paired with an action, it becomes a reality.
The reality of this tree then waits for us, like the wind waits to blow through your hair as you turn the corner of a tall building. It hides from us, like the worst hide-and-seek player, laughing from behind a tree. It plays with us like a kitten, eyes wide, curious without judgement, at the flickering shadows of leaves and branches on the ground.
You see, it is not so difficult to find the things that do not exist.
The hard part, is remembering what to do once you do find them. To stop and feel the wind. To wink at the laughter behind the tree. To accept that the being who does not yet know how to judge might be a good teacher.
This tree does not exist. Though it could. And it will. And it does.
Next Week: I’ve been working on a map-related story about a special place in Japan. It is taking time to be beautiful enough to share. Perhaps next week.
Another Story: This week’s story might have been a little bit dreamy and fantastical. If you liked that, you’ll probably enjoy this story from four years ago.
SHORT #7: A Bicycle in the Stars
At dusk a young girl rides her bike downhill along a narrow street lined with small shops and paper lanterns. She pedals, then coasts, moving lightly and swiftly, gliding across the earth. Gravity and the wind are her friends, and in her eyes, the universe reflects itself.
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This is lovely, Patrick. I just learned about the Possible City and it reminds me very much of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. Reality will reveal itself with attention and care. Thank you for what you do :)