All the Best

redtreetimes

Oct 1

GC Myers- Breaking Joy 2023 — **Breaking Joy**--At Principle Gallery

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

--G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England (1917)

...happiness doubled by wonder...

What a lovely way to think of gratitude. In the wake of yesterday's Gallery Talk at the Principle Gallery, I think I understand what Chesterton meant.

I went into yesterday with a little trepidation. And more than a little uncertainty which turned out to be the theme of the talk. It had been four years since my last Talk at the Principle and I was worried that it might end up a bust. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. Even as the clock ticked near the 1 PM start, I was worried since only a handful of folks had showed up. But in what felt like the blink of an eye, the space was suddenly full, very much as it had been in the years before the pandemic forced a hiatus on my talks.

And to top it off, this was a wonderful and open group of people. They allowed me to speak freely as well as letting me work my way into and out of problematic thoughts. Their engagement and graciousness kept the flop sweat at bay and made me feel heard and felt.

And for these talks, that is a lot. All I can ask.

I left the gallery feeling that I had been given a gift so much larger than those I had gave. And that is a prime example of my reasoning for the paintings that are given away during these talks. A lot of people think I am a bit crazy for giving work away but in my mind, it is but a small gesture of gratitude when compared to all the things-- and I'm not talking about material things-- that I have been given by these folks over the past three decades.

They have made feel, as I said above, felt and heard as a human which translates into a sense of meaning and purpose in my life. A small bit of myself in the form of a painting seems like a good deal for being given such a gift.

So, to all the folks who attended yesterday's Talk and to Michele, Clint, Taylor, Owen and Sierra at the Principle Gallery, please accept my simple Thank You for the gift you gave. It is indeed happiness doubled by wonder.

For this week's Sunday Morning Music here's a longtime favorite from the late great John Prine that works in many ways for today's post. This is All the Best.