Perfect Picture || JEON JUNGKOOK

Prologue

"I was like you when I was younger, Jungkookie. I had a passion for art, just like you. Here's something I learned in my years of drawing, painting, and crafting." My mom looks at my crayon drawings that were hung around my bed.

"You won't feel like a real Artist, unless you make something that means everything to you. Something that....maybe others wouldn't see how special it is, but in your eyes, it's the world."

I hold up my painting of a flower. "I drew this picture. It means a lot to me, eomma."

She stares at the pictures and smiles. "Jungkookie, that picture is really amazing. You know what? I'll wait until later to give you this talk. You are still only 5 years old."

"Ok." I hug the picture and walk away.

Jungkook at Age 13

"Jungkookie, remember that talk with the artist thing when you were 5?" Mom sits down next to me on my bed.

I laugh. "That was 6 years ago, mom. But surprisingly, I never forgot."

She smiles and caresses my cheek. "That's nice."

"Mom? Can you explain more about it? I still don't understand."

"Of course. So, You aren't an artist unless you create something really meaningful to you. When people observe your drawings, they might see something normal, but to you...it has so much meaning behind it. It's like those random pictures on your phone that everyone tells you to delete, but you don't want to because it reminds you of a moment. A special moment."

"I draw meaningful drawings. I have my own box of crayons and oil pastels."

"Anybody could have a pencil and paper. It's just WHAT we draw and WHY we drew it."

"What?"

"So, you know mermaids? They aren't mermaids if they don't have a scaly tail. Not anyone could have a scaly tail like a mermaid. That's what makes a mermaid...special. They have different tails. Every famous artist probably have the same pencils or markers, but their creations are all different and they have a different story."

I tilt my head a little while thinking about my simple drawings.

"I don't care if it's poorly drawn or poorly designed. I don't care if it's the size of a skyscraper or the size of a hamster. As long as it makes you smile and remember something every time you just look at it. That's already the Perfect Picture. When others see your painting, they might see through a different lens than you and that's fine. For example, this is mine." Mom pulls out a framed picture from behind her and hands it to me.