The Paint Crisis

My roommate walked over to me yesterday with this look on his face like someone had died. "They're killing Paint," he said. "They're not going to have Paint on Windows anymore." Someone had died.

See, Paint has been with us for a long damned time. Ever since I got my first computer, I've had Paint. I spent my first semester of college in the dorms. My mother had run off to god knows where and everything was scary. I was deeply depressed. I would soothe myself by messing around in Paint. I'd draw things, you know, badly, because most people draw badly in Paint. It helped though. Paint has always been a source of comfort for me.

Even now, though I have other graphics programs. There are still things I do in Paint. The kitty picture, for example, started out in Paint. I like Paint if I'm trying to capture emotion, trying to capture slinkly movement. I'm not alone. A lot of comics are done in Paint. Is it great art? Not in a technical sense, but in an emotional, Expressionistic sense, it certainly is.

The idea of not having access to this basic program seemed so wrong. I hated the idea of giving up something that was such a large part of my history with computers and such a large part of my own work. It felt wrong. I am sure most people wouldn't get this. Paint is VERY basic. But see, that's the point. Having something with such limited options allows you to really stay IN the moment. You're not stopping to set filters or alter colors or whatever else. It's just honest, visceral, you and the mouse, and Paint.

I wasn't the only person who felt this way. Luckily, enough people were heartbroken and vocal to where Microsoft is going to continue to offer Paint as a free app. It won't come with the package, but you can always get it if you need it. I'll certainly be getting it. You don't give up on old friends.