Alright, so I stumbled onto these "midnight paintings" by Dr. Seuss, and man, it threw me for a loop. Wasn't something I ever expected, you know? I was just up late one night, scrolling, trying to get my brain to shut off, and bam, there's this painting. Dark, a bit weird, definitely not the Cat in the Hat stuff I grew up with.
My First Reaction and Digging In
My first thought was, "Is this for real?" Looked it up, and sure enough, Theodor Geisel, the Dr. Seuss guy, he painted this whole other world of stuff for himself. Called 'em his "Midnight Paintings" because, well, he painted them at night, away from his kids' book work. It wasn't for anyone else, just for him. That got me curious. So, I started looking for more. It became a bit of a mission, almost a nightly ritual for a while.
The more I looked, the more I found. Creatures that were kinda Seussian, but also kinda... unsettling? Not in a bad way, just different. More complex, maybe a bit melancholic. It was like seeing a whole other side of a guy you thought you knew. My "practice" here, if you can call it that, was just diving deep into this hidden collection. I'd save images, compare them, try to see what he was getting at.
Why This Stuck With Me
Now, why did this whole thing grab me so much? It reminded me of this old project I had, years back. I was working this real stiff corporate gig, all spreadsheets and meetings that could’ve been emails. Drained me. But at night, I was trying to build these intricate ship models. Tiny, detailed things. Kept it totally quiet. My own little "midnight" world, I guess. Nobody at work knew. They just saw the suit and tie, the guy who nodded at the right times.
Seeing Seuss's secret art, it was like, "Yeah, I get that." That need to have something just for yourself, something that doesn't have to meet anyone's expectations or pay the bills. It’s a different kind of creative muscle you're flexing.
How I "Recorded" This Exploration
So, what did I do with all this? It wasn't like I was gonna write a thesis on it. Mostly, I just made a personal collection.
- Saved images: Built up a folder of my favorites. The ones that really made me think, or just looked cool.
- Jotted down notes: Little thoughts here and there. Like, "This one feels angry," or "Wonder what was on his mind when he painted this beast." Nothing fancy.
- Tried to sketch a bit: Not to copy him, nah. But just to loosen up my own hand. Made me realize how much freedom there was in those lines of his, even in the weird stuff. It was rough, real rough, my sketches, but that wasn't the point.
It wasn't about becoming an art critic. It was more about connecting with that idea of a private creative life. The stuff you do when nobody's looking.
What I Took Away From It All
In the end, this whole dive into Dr. Seuss's midnight paintings, it wasn't about the art itself, not entirely. It was a reminder that people are usually more complex than you think. Everyone's got their own "midnight" projects, their own hidden worlds. It made me think about the stuff I do just for me, and why that’s important. You know, not everything has to be for public consumption. Some things are just for your own head, your own satisfaction. And that’s perfectly okay. Actually, it’s more than okay; it’s probably necessary.
