i like thinking abt how ppl have probably had OCs forever like even if they werent writers or artists. some boy in 1040s finland was probably imagining a little guy who tamed wolves or something. its smile to me
Somewhat related but a thing i love is that we have historical artifacts of this everyday imagination which i find absolutely delightful.
This is Onfim and his dad. Onfim lived in Novgorod in what is today Russia during the 13th century, and was 6-7 when he drew this by scratching into soft birch bark. Some of the things he wrote was his language, Old Novgorodian. And Onfim also had just as delightful an imagination as todays children.
On the left is his writing homework, and on the right a creature labeled as “I am a wild beast” (an artistic depiction of a wild animal? Or a creature purely of fantasy?)
Here’s a battle scene, the rider helpfully labeled as “Onfim”, leaving no doubts that he definitively fantasized about being a noble knight
THIS MADE ME GO 🥺🥺🥺 IRL
