The WHY

I'm on a journey of self discovery....taking a hard look at Who I am and What and Why I do what I do.  It is day 2 of the class taught by Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nicholis, "Hello Soul, Hello Business".  The question....what I'm trying to define for myself and my business is, "Why?"  Simply put....I love to paint.  I'm completely and utterly in love with what happens at the end of my paint brush.  The color, the texture, the movement.....all pouring out.....a beautiful, precious gift.  But, Why do I have this gift?  What can I do with it?

“To find your mission in life is to discover the intersection between your heart’s deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger.” -Frederick Buechner

How true is that!  My heart's deep gladness....painting and a love of animals.  The world.....has many deep hungers.  But one in particular stands out to me....the animals.

"What is man without the beasts?  If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit.  for whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.  All things are connected."  Chief Seattle

All things are connected....and I do believe we are each put on this earth for a purpose.  We are each given a "gift" to nurture, to explore, and to share.   My gift and my Why must work together......

"It is my most sincere wish that through my paintings you can see what I see....the beauty, grace, and intelligence all animals possess. Every animal is unique and special and I try to honor that through my paintings. We must learn to respect the animals of this earth and protect and treasure them."  Debbie Goode

I think I had forgotten that for a time.....I became so wrapped up in the "business of Art" that my passion, my joy, my mission....was lost to me.  There is more....so much more...and I think I'm teetering on the brink of something truly amazing!