The Vision to See the Treasured Future

Funny how I thought writing more than weekly would be too much to put on myself, yet here I find myself writing again, for the fourth time in less than a week.  Yet again, I have encountered something worth writing about.

In my excitement over comics yesterday, it completely left my mind that the first weekend in May is also the the weekend when a flea market sets up in the park in the center of town.  Usually, this weekend also has a fair amount of yard sales, though I don't honestly know if it's the actual weekend for town wide yard sale.  I did encounter some good finds at the flea market this year- some jewelry, a purse, a jar of homemade jam- but what made my day truly memorable was the last yard sale I visited.

As I walked up to the tent, I saw a young woman- perhaps in her late teens- sitting at a table, flipping through a book of what looked to be artwork.  I thought to look at it, but decided to do so lastly.  I ducked into the tent, and immediately found something that was precisely what I had set out to find today (a teacup and saucer).   I scooped it up, along with a soup cup I knew a friend would appreciate.

As I perused the rest of the items, I heard the woman behind me talking to another customer about her daughter- the one with the artwork book.  I came to learn that the girl had an art teacher whom I had myself had as a teacher in school; and that she would be pursuing her talents in college.

I paid for my items and chatted with the woman a bit, then turned to the table with the artwork.  I mentioned to the girl that I had a friend who does YouTube videos about her art, and she in turn mentioned that she does as well, telling me her YouTube account to look up.

Listening to the young woman and her mother speak, I began thinking about my own passions, and how excited I get when others take an interest in my passion or my work.  I knew that it didn't matter whether I found a piece that struck a chord with me or not, I needed to buy something from this girl.  When even just one person gives me positive feedback on my writing or craftwork, it honestly is so motivating and thrilling.  I knew that I wanted to support and motivate this girl in that same way.

As she flipped through her artwork, I saw a piece that instantly caught my attention.  I expressed how much I loved the piece, and that I wanted to buy it, and asked how much she wanted for it.

She thought briefly before answering.  "Mmmmmm, no less than....five, for that one."

I was honestly surprised.  Hopefully she only asked for so little because she felt that not enough time or product had gone into it for a high price.  I, personally, though, felt it was worth more.  I felt talent was worth more.  I felt time and practice and devotion were worth more.

"Five?" I exclaimed, "Oh no, it's definitely worth more than that!"  I gave her ten, wished the homeowners well, and went on my way.

So, what is this artwork I purchased?  It is this:

A simple sheet of posterboard, artistically rendered with India ink.  Yes, I know, the way I spoke, one would expect something more color-heavy and intricate.  Allow me to explain the reason for my choice: I love the fact that this has no defined picture, no defined intention.  I love that the meaning of the piece is up for interpretation.  I love that it's simple, yet intricate.  And most of all, I love that the artist wanted to put it out into the world, and let others see what they wanted to see within it.

I, of course, came home and immediately found her on YouTube (Lightblade Absol).  I watched some of her speedpainting videos, and felt awed at the talent.  It amazes me how people with so much talent are often the ones who think they lack it.

Additionally, every video had fantastic music.  A couple songs in particular caught my ear, and of course I went and found them.   Searching for it lead me to finding an entire playlist worth of songs that are totally worth my time.  And as we all know, new music will always make me super excited.  Totally a happy accidental perk.

Each time I see a young talent unfolding, it excites me to think of how they could effect the world in the future.  I will continue to follow this girl on YouTube, and hopefully in the future I will find her out selling her artwork at shows, or perhaps in a gallery.  For now, I am quite content to hang my new artwork on my wall, and watch to see who perceives what from the picture.

And for any of you readers who are pursuing your passions, I want to encourage you to continue doing what you love, and to always do so with vim and vigor.  What is a hobby, if it is not done
passionately?  The more you work at your trade, the more joy you and others will gain from it, so please don't give up if the going gets tough- keep working at it!

I will close with a quote that I find a beautiful reminder of why we all started on our journeys of passion pursuit: 

You never know the positivity it could bring to someone's day, so keep washing away the dust and bringing your talent to a world that would be dull without it.