Oscar-winning artist Charlie Mackesy rarely gives interviews, but when he does, something quite magical happens.
The illustrator and author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse admits that he doesn't like to give interviews because he fears his words might get twisted.
However, he made an exception and sat down for a long chat with Paul C. Brunson for the We Need To Talk podcast.
During the emotional conversation, Charlie spoke about anxiety, grief, loneliness, and the power of kindness. His words about the chaos and sheer messiness of life, are especially tear-jerking.
"It's such an amazing thing to make messy marks on paper that then communicates something to someone else, that makes them see themselves or something in a different way," he says, adding, "like, that to me blows my mind."
The artist links this concept to the challenging moments of life by suggesting there are so many "finished" products in life, such as books, but nobody ever sees the messy bits that didn't work out that don't make it to the finished product.
He feels the process to get to the end product is 'an end in itself', saying, 'our imperfections are perfect'.
He explains that his own home is full of drawings and half finished things that he wouldn't show anybody.
"But you have to do them," he says of those unfinished pieces, adding, "you have to go through the process of making mistake after mistake to get somewhere," meaning that while those sketches might not be perfect, they make up part of life's process and somebody could pull meaning from any one of them.
"Every mess you make can become something," he says, poignantly.
Charlie shares that he's working on a journal for people, but not a blank one because 'blank things are terrifying'. Instead, he's adding words of encouragement to break up the blankness and make it seem less frightening, offering phrases such as, 'try making a mess here'.
While the chaos of life might not appear perfect, Charlie urges people that their "imperfections are great."
Essentially, the artist wants everyone to be present in the moment and shake off concerns about making their way to a final, shiny end product - every moment matters, even if it feels hard or unimportant.
Together with Paul, the pair acknowledge that being present is something many adults really struggle with.
"I think we'd somehow divorced ourselves," Charlie says of this difficulty, finishing, "I don't know why we did that."
