11 – The Departure

The Departure – The Search for the Origin of Color

Milo asked a question that no one had ever asked before: Who made the first brushstroke? The four others – Baxter, Jasper, Leo, and Luna – react differently to it:

• Baxter, the laid-back pragmatist, lazily raises an eyebrow. “Well, maybe it’s one of those questions that we don’t need to answer. As long as the sun shines and the moss is soft, I don’t need to count brushstrokes.”
• Jasper, the artist, jumps up excitedly. “A quest? An adventure? Oh, I like that! Maybe our creator is a giant explosion of colors! Or a wild brush with its own soul!”
• Leo, the wise one, gazes thoughtfully into the distance. “Every story has a beginning. If we want to know where we come from, we must follow the traces.”
• Luna, the observer, tilts her head. “I’ve always felt that something was missing. Maybe it was this question.”

Finally, they nod to each other. They must leave. Deep into the forest, where the colors become fainter, where the first stroke might still be visible.

Milo is full of anticipation. Jasper dances excitedly ahead. Leo remains calm but vigilant. Luna casts one last look back, as if she can feel that her world will never be the same again.

And Baxter? He sighs and stands up slowly. “Alright. But if we don’t find a comfortable spot for a nap along the way, I will protest.”

With this promise, their journey begins.

As they move through the painted forest, the surroundings gradually change. The colors become softer, the patterns less wild – as if the forest itself is quieting down. Then, in the middle of a clearing, they discover the first new figure.

Nala, the gentle lioness, sits under a tree shimmering in delicate black and white tones. Her fur is not as conspicuously patterned as the others, series of dots, some small some bigger. Only her mane glows red. A lioness with a lion’s mane, strange!

Milo steps forward curiously. “Who are you?”

Nala slowly lifts her head and regards the group with calm, deep eyes. “I am Nala. And I’ve been expecting you.”

Jasper puffs up. “Expecting? Us? Why?”

Nala smiles gently. “Because I know you are looking for answers.”

Leo tilts his head thoughtfully. “And can you give them to us?”

Nala remains silent for a moment, then says, “Perhaps. But not all answers come immediately. Sometimes you have to earn them.”

Luna watches Nala closely. Something about her is different. She exudes a calmness that does not only come from knowledge – but from something deeper. Perhaps wisdom?

Milo feels his heart beating faster. “Do you know the first brushstroke?”

Nala slowly rises, her gaze drifting into the distance. “I know someone who can tell you more. But you must move on, deeper into the forest.”

Jasper purrs excitedly. “Then let’s not waste any time!”

Sometimes, everything begins with a single question.
Not because it needs an answer – but because it sets us in motion.
The departure is not a destination. It is a promise: that something within us is ready to grow.

Which idea is waiting for you right now?

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Nala, the gentle Lioness

Oil/Mixed Media on Canvas, 30 x 40 cm

Preis für das Original auf Anfrage hier clicken

☕ [Nala as a mug for your creative pause]
🖼️ [Discover Nala as a poster on Etsy]

Nala isn’t a lioness like any other.
She wears a large red mane.
When you look at her, you feel an incredible calm – not empty, but full.
This calm holds paths that don’t push, but gently invite.

Nala’s world is no place for haste. It is a place of encounter.
With yourself. With the unknown.
With what doesn’t speak right away – but has always been there.

Nala is an in-between space. A threshold. A promise.
For all those who are ready to listen more deeply.