The mystery of genetics

As I grew up I noticed that my father loved buying and playing wind instruments. So he had a a saxophone which was his favorite instrument. He also had a trumpet, a clarinet and a flute. He is old now but still possesses and plays his instruments. They are a treasure to him.

As a 6 year old I watched him practice every evening after his day job as a foreman with the East African Railways -playing as he listened to maestros like the late Louis Amstrong on music that came on vynil records those days. I also noticed he loved drawing and I would go through his pencil drawings with much interest and wide-eyed wonder. Isn't it just fascinating how parents can inspire their children?

His drawings fascinated me the most, so I secretly begun to draw as well, mostly just copying what he had drawn and little by little I realized that I got better incredibly quickly! My dad was supportive buying me all the material I required. In elementary school everyone crowded my desk in between classes to enjoy my drawings depicting cars, superheroes, footballers and so on, and before long I was winning children's art competitions. I went on to study design at the University and worked in an advertising company as a creative in my first job.

Fast forward, I get married and one of my two children is a girl and she also takes after me and her grandfather as an artist. She started by demonstrating exceptional skills in making colorful play-things and toys using anything she could lay her hands on. As her parents we noticed how different forms and shapes excited her.

She then moved onto drawing stick figures then onto her favorite cartoon personalities. She has now participated in several art exhibitions and has done several TV and radio interviews with major media houses across the world. We work closely with her and this has helped us bond as father and daughter. Later this month she travels to USA to study Interior Design.

Her transformation artistically has been astonishing. This has been the result of hard work, good coaching from her teachers in school and exposure from participating in art exhibitions at every opportunity. Also just like my dad bought me all the art supplies I needed, I and my wife have made sure our daughter has all the material she needs. As a matter of fact she now buys her own because her paintings are selling pretty well.

Well, sometimes the script doesn't follow this route because my son is not at artist. His strengths lie elsewhere.

But this here is testimony to the amazing mystery of genetics! Grandfather to son to daughter.