It’s true that we don’t just buy items, we buy the stories they tell. About the item. About us. About how we want to feel and how we want others to feel about us. When the story changes, so does the value and our opinion of the item.

This is a key part of simplicity: appreciating an item for what it is, not what it says about us.

And I seriously doubt that Marla is part of a money-making conspiracy. Four yearj olds can’t stop talking. And it’s usually about the most embarrassing things their parents could dream of.

After working with kids in an art setting, I have no doubts about the artistic intelligence and capabilities of children. That mysterious flow state? That’s what they get into when they create, and it’s a joy to see.