Detail of Sunflower Demo/SOLD
Van Gogh is a favorite of mine. I have a book of his letters that is one of my most treasured things. So many of his thoughts resonate with me—which just goes to say that spirit, source, whatever you call it, connects all of us in ways beyond what we can comprehend. The following passage has stayed with me since I first came across it some 15 years ago.
“That brings up again the eternal question: Is the whole of life visible to us, or isn’t it rather that this side of death we see only one hemisphere?
For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it, but looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map. I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? Just as we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. One thing undoubtedly is true in this reasoning is that we cannot get to a star while we are alive, any more than we can take the train when we are dead.
So to me is seems possible that cholera, gravel, tuberculosis and cancer are the celestial means of locomotion, just as steamboats, buses and railways are the terrestrial means. (and this is the part I love) To die quietly of old age would be to go there on foot.”
9 years.
900 paintings.
1 sell.
When I stop to think of all the joy Vincent's work has brought to so many millions of people for all of these years, I can only think to myself, thank God he continued to paint. Thank God he did not measure himself or his artwork to popular opinion. Thank God he painted his heart and didn't wait for a sell or an award to validate that what he was doing was worthy. His work was worthy all along . His work was valid all along. His work was award winning all along.
Sometimes we think a story is finished and it has only just begun.
120 years.
900 paintings.
Joy to millions.
Vincent never knew what the story would be, and neither do I or you. Create from your heart for that is the most important job of all. The rest of the story will be written long after we are gone.
