You Probably Won't Make a Living, But You Can Make A Life

I am not a Buddhist, but I have always been so strangely comforted by the Four Noble Truths, primarily the first one that states, "Life is Filled with Suffering." There is something about this accurate identification of reality, no matter how stark it might be, that soothes the aching questions in my soul. It is like the healthy throb when a broken bone has finally been set correctly, or a rotten festering tooth has been extracted. Sometimes pain is a good, even noble thing, especially if it sharpens our vision.

Our mentors have an uncanny ability of showing up just when we need them the most. Although I have never met Wayne Thiebaud, I have been enchanted with his paintings since the beginning of my own artistic journey. I study his choices of color and way of applying paint on a regular basis. Hearing his candor about the artist's life moves me to healing, strengthening tears.

Because gems are always buried deep beneath mountains of mud, I thought it best to load up my shovel and dig out this video--which will probably never be 'youtube famous'--and hold it up, sparkling in the light, for you as well as for me.

 The power of being an artist is that we never, ever truly know how far our art will reach. We never truly know the impact we have, the minds and hearts we touch. What a blessed and wondrous mystery that is.