This drawing has a special story. When I finished it, I saw a young, gentle mother holding her baby close to her. She was giving one of those intense love-filled hugs that nourish not only the heart and soul but also soothe the body, warm the spirit, and deliver an unshakable message: “I love you, you are precious, you matter.”
To me, it was obvious, almost tangible. That moment of pure love, in its immense simplicity, represented an ideal—something deeply universal yet intimately personal at the same time.
Then one day, I decided to share the drawing. Hesitantly, because it came from that fragile part of me where my most personal emotions reside. The responses were surprising. Instead of seeing a mother and her baby, as I did, many people saw a young girl, almost an adolescent. Was it really her baby? Some perceived a different story, a different kind of bond.
Their reactions made me pause. Curious, I took a moment to look at the drawing again—not with the eyes of its creator, but as if I were seeing it for the first time. And then, something subtle emerged: maybe it wasn’t a mother and her child after all. A new story, hidden beneath the first, began to reveal itself. Was this drawing, without my realizing it, telling a fragment of my own life?
There was something in this scene that reminded me of my relationship with my little brother. We have a fourteen-year age gap. During his childhood, I often felt like more than just a sister. I was a bit like a second mother to him, but without the overwhelming responsibilities of parenthood. Just an instinctive desire to protect, to hug, to show love. Those moments when I held him in my arms—so small, so fragile, trusting me completely—are etched in my memory. Perhaps a part of those moments found their way into this drawing.
This is what I love so much about the creative process. Sometimes, I think I’m telling one story, but another, deeper and more intimate, emerges. My drawings often surprise me in this way. They reveal parts of myself I hadn’t yet noticed, as if they know things I don’t know yet.
This drawing has become, for me, much more than a simple illustration of a hug. It’s a bridge between multiple stories: the ones I intended to tell and the ones I carry within me, often without being fully aware of them.
And you, what do you see in this drawing? What connections, emotions, or stories does it evoke for you? I’d love to read your impressions and discover, through your eyes, new facets of this creation that I might not yet know. Share your thoughts in the comments—I’m curious to hear your interpretations!
Rose Lorang