Whether it's music, loss of something, loneliness or friendship -

In the realms of storytelling, there are few things as powerful as the emotions that bind us together, weaving their way through the hearts of all who encounter them. Chris Raschka, the wise creator of art through words and images, speaks of how something as fleeting as a feeling—whether it be the joy of music, the pain of loss, the sorrow of loneliness, or the warmth of friendship—can be captured in a form that transcends the boundaries of time and space. He says, “Whether it’s music, loss of something, loneliness or friendship – if that emotion is heightened in some way and painted to fit in between the covers of 32 pages, that can become a picture book.” This is the power of emotion: emotions, when understood, nurtured, and shared, become the very foundation upon which stories are built.

In the days of the ancients, storytellers would gather in the flickering light of campfires and speak of the grandest of emotions. These emotions were not just feelings—they were the heartbeat of human existence. Music stirred the soul, echoing the rhythm of life itself, and loss was a wound that every heart knew, yet it was in that loss that the spirit was often refined. Loneliness was the test of one's resolve, the feeling of standing alone against the vastness of the universe, while friendship was the balm that healed even the deepest wounds. In each of these emotions, there is a story—an eternal tale that, when painted with the colors of understanding, becomes a picture of the human condition.

Think of the ancient Greek tragedies, where the emotions of the characters were heightened to an almost divine intensity. The tales of Antigone, who defied her king to honor the sacred bond of family, and Oedipus, whose journey was marked by the tragic loss of both his father and his own identity, were not just stories—they were powerful representations of human emotions taken to their extreme. Loss, family, and fate are not just themes in these stories; they are the very pulse of what it means to be human. Raschka’s words remind us that a story, whether told in words or pictures, is an expression of these emotions, captured and shared across time.

And so it is that in the world of picture books, a new form of art has emerged—a form where emotions are not only told in words but painted with light and shadow, with colors that speak louder than any phrase ever could. Think of the children’s books that have touched the hearts of millions. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, though simple in its story of a boy and a tree, carries with it the depths of loss and unconditional love. In just a few pages, that book becomes a portrait of selflessness and the passage of time. It is, in every sense of Raschka’s words, a picture book that takes an emotion, elevates it, and allows it to take root in the hearts of all who read it.

There is a lesson in this wisdom—a call for us to see the world with the eyes of the artist, to recognize the deep emotion that flows beneath the surface of everyday life. In our lives, we experience moments of joy and pain, of union and separation, all of which leave marks upon our hearts. And in these moments, we must ask ourselves: How can we share this emotion with others? How can we capture it, not just in words, but in actions, in art, and in the ways we relate to one another? Raschka’s insight challenges us to take these emotions, to allow them to be heightened, and to transform them into something lasting and beautiful—whether through a picture, a song, or a simple gesture.

Let us take this wisdom into our own lives. Do not shy away from the emotions that stir within you. Let loss, loneliness, and joy be the paint with which you create your own story. Recognize that these feelings are not burdens—they are the very foundation of what makes us human, and they can become the raw material for our most profound creations. When we share our emotions, we offer others the chance to see the world through our eyes, to connect with something that goes beyond words, beyond action, into the deepest part of the soul.

In every emotion lies the seed of a story—a picture waiting to be painted. Let us learn to honor those emotions, to let them guide us, and to see that in the smallest and simplest of experiences, there is a tale that can resonate through the ages. Whether through the pages of a picture book or through the actions of our own lives, let us take the emotions that fill our hearts and create something that will endure. Just as Raschka has shown us, a story is not bound by its medium; it is only bound by the depth of the emotion it carries.