Gency Brown

Ever feel like old Tevye, singing If I Were A Rich Man? Unless you live in the lap of luxury, financially set for life, you have. The dream of having everything you want and need is always just beyond reach. But then, doesn’t want become the greater percentage of that equation? Think about all you have in family, friends, and never being hungry. Or if you are, sustenance is only a few steps away in the cold refrigerator.

Creative souls, many times, have to come to that realization early or end up missing an ear or coming to an untimely end. Touring musicians stay in homes of gracious fans to avoid the expense of a hotel. Crafts people carefully pack their vehicles with their art for festivals and fairs while toiling in studios into the night to have stock for the next event. Authors lock themselves away, miss dinners, and sometimes get lost in clouds while staring out the window looking for the right phrase to complete a chapter.

 In other words, artists all struggle for meager rewards in one way or another. Or is the struggle part of the joy of the art? It’s about that question of want or need. Creative folks need their art and though most want the monetary reward, balance is the key. Small things in life become enough. A birthday pie baked by a good friend. A hug from a mother who you hope remembers you on the next visit. Fishing in the sunlight. Sensing a tear on your cheek at reading the paragraph you just finished. Finding the perfect color to paint the sky. Applause filling the room after your new song.

So, if you ever see me sitting on my roof singing, just remind me I’m an artist. Destined to a life of poverty level reward for my books and short stories. Even with my new contract for publishing my novel, my eyes are wide open to reality. It’s the small things like game night with friends, the touch of a loved one’s hand, trying a new culinary treat, cousins and one remaining aunt and uncle, dropping a line in a favorite farm pond, and you. Thanks for being here and sharing my journey. You’re all the riches I need.