Pablo Picaso - Every Child is an Artist. The problem is how to remain and artist once we grow up

Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for August 2nd.

Today is National Coloring Book Day, and before you roll your eyes and think "isn't that for kids?" – let me stop you right there. Adult coloring books have become a massive phenomenon, and there's actually some serious science why picking up those colored pencils might be one of the best things you can do for your brain.

You see, coloring isn't just about staying inside the lines – though there's something oddly satisfying about that too. It's about getting into what psychologists call a "flow state" – that magical zone where time seems to disappear and your mind quiets down from its usual chatter. It's meditation disguised as play.

The beauty of coloring is in its simplicity. You don't need to be Picasso. You don't need expensive equipment. You just need to show up with a crayon and let yourself get lost in the process. There's no right or wrong way to color a mandala or fill in a geometric pattern. It's just you, the page, and whatever colors speak to you in that moment.This brings us to today's quote from Pablo Picasso, who once said:

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

Now, Picasso understood something we often forget as adults – that creativity isn't about perfection, it's about expression. Watch any kid with a coloring book, and you'll see pure, unfiltered joy. They're not worried about choosing the "right" color for the sky or whether their butterfly looks realistic. They're just creating.But somewhere along the way, many of us lose that fearless creativity. We start second-guessing ourselves. We worry about judgment. We convince ourselves we're "not artistic" and abandon the very thing that brought us so much joy as children.The thing is, that artist is still in there. It's just buried under years of being told to color inside the lines, to follow the rules, to be practical. But creativity doesn't follow rules – it plays with them, bends them, sometimes breaks them entirely.So today, whether you actually pick up a coloring book or just approach your regular tasks with a little more creative spirit, remember Picasso's words. That inner artist doesn't need permission to come out and play. It just needs you to stop overthinking and start creating.Maybe the sky in your coloring book is purple today. Maybe your presentation at work has a little extra flair. Maybe you take a different route home just to see something new. However you choose to express it, let that artist inside you have a voice.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow – same pod time, same pod station – with another Daily Quote.