The Gift, Part 2

"When we have fed the gift, it grows and feeds us in return.” --Lewis Hyde

An artist and his wife once asked me to dinner. Their home was filled with beautiful paintings and sculptures the artist had made. They struggled to pay their bills, which were barely covered by the wife's nursing job, their sole source of income. Year by year, nothing seemed to change much for the artist. But their hearts were full of hope, and the artist encouraged me in my own art forms. "You take care of the work," he said, "the work is gonna take care of you."

I took his words to heart. But to be honest, I wondered, was his work really going to take care of him? That was nearly twenty years ago. Over the past few years, this artist's work has won acclaim and recognition all over the country. Recently, he landed a million dollar project.

His advice was spot on. The thing one can never count on is the timing: remember that. Be patient. And don't ever give up.

How are you taking care of your art today?