✨You know that moment when children are supposed to be falling asleep, but instead they are still half-awake, wandering through their own little worlds? That soft in-between state not fully asleep, not fully awake where the darkness of the room starts to feel playful instead of scary. Where shadows turn into funny shapes, the mind begins to invent tiny stories, and suddenly sleep doesn’t feel as interesting as imagination. I’ve always loved that part of childhood. That moment at night when a child wants to stay awake just a little longer, to hear one more story, to giggle a little more, to keep the playfulness alive before sleep finally takes over. I created this painting inspired by that exact feeling the magical space of bedtime, when the world gets quiet, but the imagination becomes louder. For me, this piece feels like the inner playground of a child listening to a story in the dark, slowly drifting into sleep while their mind keeps turning shadows into wonder. **Medium:** Acrylic on cardboard