Finding our deep gladness

Hi, all!

One of my favorite quotes is from Frederick Buechner: "The place where God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep need meet." Finding our deep gladness is not always easy. Sometimes it takes a long time to discover our true self.

When I was in the eighth grade, my family moved from Kansas to Nebraska, and I was thrown into a new school in the middle of the year. In the first day of art class, the art teacher told us to draw something from our imagination. I had no idea what she wanted. I dawdled and dragged the time out, but she insisted that I draw something. So I drew a logo from my dad's work, the only image I could think of. She said, "What is that?" I explained and she said, "No! I told you to draw from your imagination." She crossed her arms and said emphatically, "You'll never be an artist."

And with that decree planted firmly in my mind, I avoided anything about art from then on. It was only many years later that I began to experiment with pencil, ink, and watercolors. I got such pleasure from sketching what I saw in front of me that I began to realize she was wrong. Contrary to what she said, I am a creative person. In fact, when I get too busy to sketch, paint, make music, or do woodworking, I begin to feel dull and bored, like something's missing.

I've finally come to accept that I need to be creative in order to be myself. My mind needs to be continually imagining new ideas, new images, new projects. I've come to understand that this is how God made me. Now I always carry a sketchbook with me so I can capture an image or describe a scene in front of me. It's not the quality that's so important to me, but the immediacy, the engagement with my surroundings, and the creation that happens with a pen or a brush. It inspires me.

I photograph my artwork and upload it to the internet so anyone can see it. So from time to time I'll show you some of my artwork so you can enjoy it, too. In fact, on Monday I made this watercolor of an old-time gas station I saw in Bainbridge Island (see below).

Each of us has unique gifts that God has given us. Your gifts and your inspiration are uniquely your own. So let me ask: what is your deep gladness?

Bill

Click on the image to see a larger size.