I am sure you are all familiar with the legend of the fountain of youth. These legends have been around for thousands of years with stories depicting a hidden pool of water that, if imbibed, restores youth and vitality to the drinker. The adventurer in me has always loved this story. I can imagine hiking for days through dense jungle, in uncharted areas, and stumbling upon a hidden chasm filled with the most beautiful blue water. I take a sip and then, poof, I am back to my childhood without a care in the world. Life is filled with playing, running, napping, drawing, and being with family and friends.

What is it about youth that has made this myth so pervasive throughout the centuries?  For me, it comes down to curiosity, wonder, lack of stress, and the feeling of immortality. Think back to the things you enjoyed most as a child…  I loved to draw. My mother had piles of scrap paper that I drew characters on. When the stack of pictures got big, she would 3-hole punch them and bind them with yarn. It was the act of creation as a child – drawing a picture, writing a poem, building a fort – that was so appealing.

Photo by John McSporran

While the fountain of youth may be legend, the search for the fountain of youth continues in the search for creativity – and that is where Artists Action Network comes in. There exists a group of people who embrace this youthful approach to life…artists. Artists have found their inner fountain of youth and tapped into the waters that keep them curious, questioning, and continually challenging themselves. Their creations are put forth for all to imbibe for eternity. Ask someone on the street if they have ever heard of Leonardo da Vinci. They will look at you like you just crawled out of a hole somewhere. “Of course,” they will say and will describe one of his many talents. The man was born in 1452! He is part of eternity. He discovered the fountain of youth; it wasn’t a physical fountain, but a mental one.

I am a guy with a day jobs that lacks much creativity. I won’t bore you with the details. However, there exists in me urbane artistic tastes, a predilection for the exceptional, and an eagerness to reveal the unexplored. I am searching for the fountain. I am looking for curious people doing creative things. The goal is to develop a resource for other people searching for their own way of expressing themselves, whether it is artists looking for inspiration, art collectors, gallerists, or people like me searching for that inner child once again. I hope you will join me on this journey and will trust me to be your concierge for all things creative.

— Cory Christiansen