Thursday, March 9, 2017

Give It Every Time

Zestful Blog Post #202

Be not afraid. Count the words you have, not the words yet to be written. Be thankful.

Be true. Seek truth and bear witness to it.

Feel what you feel.

Spiritual leaders figured out the hard path for us. When Christ said give away everything and follow me, he meant it literally. Very few have the guts to do that; I’m sitting here in my house, surrounded by possessions. But we all give everything away sooner or later, the latest opportunity being the moment of death. When we die, we leave all our possessions. Why not start much earlier? Here’s the connection. For an artist, the act of giving it away must happen at each work session if authenticity is to be achieved. You write the sentences, you stroke the paint on the canvas, you cut the cloth and sew the seam. You put it out there; you give it, with complete abandon. Giving often, giving without reservation: that’s the path to quality.


Creating a quality product is one thing. Getting that product into the hands of paying consumers is another, and worth doing. But an artist’s first duty is to give it, give it, give it.

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[Photo by ES. This pencil pot resides in the textile studio of a friend of mine.]

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8 comments:

  1. I've never understood the concept of hanging onto excesses nor of giving things away for free. Including gifts of writing.

    Life is so freeing when we give. In the divine economy nothing is ever lost.

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  2. Linda, great to see you here. "In the divine economy nothing is ever lost." I love it. I might add that a gift often becomes a gain, when it is given fullheartedly.

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  3. For years I worked at making money as a writer. Made some, failed at times. Now, I'm writing to persuade. I give my work away in order to get people to read it and consider the reality we face. No time for nonsense.

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  4. That's wonderful, Patricia. We're here for all too short a time...

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  5. I believe that giving things away is good after all if someone else needs it more then you do then why not. Yes you it might have cost you a lot or little money. However at the beginning and through out the day we have to remember that this day isn't ours its the Lords day. Jesus would want us to share and give whatever possessions we have and another may need to give. After all if everyone shared and cared for often the world today would be a better place.

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  6. Melissa, great to see you here. How right you are, and bless your heart.

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