A while back, like 1989, I started keeping journals and sketch books. Ideas, feelings, plans and thoughts. Mostly drawings, lots of family images but mostly cycling, and mostly always joyful.
As I thumbed through the pages recently I discovered one reoccurring image that seems to be in almost all of the books. Sometimes in the front cover, as a reminder of what a joy cycling is for me. A simple passion that has guided me down this path of my cycling art.
A cycling person with arms raised in joy.
Along with the hundreds of drawings of cycling and cycling related images from the Tour de France to a Tour of my House is another reoccurring theme. This one is two words.
Fall forward.
An artist friend of mine and writer, Frank Campion said it to me once after we had a bad client meeting and it stuck. Like my little doodles of a joyful bike rider the letters – FF – punctuate many of my entries in those journals. I believe “Fall Forward” is one of the most optimistic phrases you can know. We all fall, and we get up. So to fall forward, to me, captures what we all need and want to do most in life.
Find meaning, find love, find happiness and live joyfully.
FF
