It's all in the hand.

Creativity. The desire to take the mundane and ordinary and turn it into something exceptional. The artisan works with both raw materials and preformed consumer goods to create something new and beautiful. Each of us has an inner artist desiring to express themselves; it just turns out the canvas on which we craft our image takes a myriad of different forms.

For me, the canvas is the focal plane of a camera and the light-sensitive medium that sits upon it. I use this to capture the world around me. To take a moment in time and record it in such a way as to evoke a sense of pleasure or awe on the beholder. Others use pen and paper, a keyboard, wood, or in the photo above, glass. Every occupation and every niche in our communities allows individuals to express themselves. The end result from their labor of love shows the essence of Art. Or John, Sally, or Patty.

When we do what we love we inspire others. It brings satisfaction to ourselves but also to the world around us. Partly from the result, but also from the process. It all encourages us to be better, to contribute to society, and to make the world a better place.

I do not know the name of the man making the glass ornament, but the boy is my son. I took this photo over 20 years ago. Who knows how many people the glass-maker has inspired with both his creations and deft practices. By himself, he has not changed the world, but he has added to the cumulative force that inspires others. It is said that it takes a community to raise a child. I think a lot of that has to do with the creative influences expressed by each person that does it.

Whatever you do, do it with passion. Be the best that you can be and in return, you will inspire others to follow in your footsteps, even if they don't go in the same direction.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen