Sometimes my inspiration comes from a book.
Other times it comes from one of my favorite movies.
And sometimes, well, it comes from an internet-famous raccoon.
Over the last week or so I found myself smiling every time another video of Jimothy the raccoon appeared in my feed. Like so many others, I immediately fell in love with his determination. Jimothy gets around a little differently than most raccoons, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it. He simply scoots through life, exploring the world with the same curiosity as any other raccoon.
That confidence inspired my latest painting, Living His Best Life.
I didn’t want to focus on what makes Jimothy different. I wanted to paint him exactly as he seems to see himself: a raccoon with somewhere to be. No fanfare, no self-pity, just putting one foot in front of the other and carrying on despite what might limit him. Isn’t that what we all should be doing?
Maybe that’s why so many people have fallen in love with him. Jimothy isn’t trying to inspire or impress anyone. He’s just living his life, and somehow that has inspired millions of people anyway.
I hope this painting captures even a small part of the joy Jimothy has brought to so many of us over the past few days. I had so much fun painting him. ❤️