Hello everyone, sorry it’s been so
long since I last posted. Unfortunately, it is an impossibly sad situation that
has kept me away from my computer. After over a year, a dear friend of mine,
Paul, lost his younger brother to a brave and valiant battle with a rare form
of cancer. Jack was only nineteen years old when he passed away.
I watched Paul and his partner Marie as they
did everything in their power to be supportive and caring to Jack and the whole
family since his diagnosis. Paul and I became friends after I left college and
so I never got to know Jack personally, the memories I have of him are all
through the loving eyes of his older brother.
Witnessing the mass support the family received
throughout the last difficult days of Jacks life and of course, to help the
family celebrate the life of their youngest member was truly moving.
It got me thinking about support and the power
of involvement. I talked briefly before about my own parent’s support of me as
a young and tentative artist. They really did make sure that none of the talent
I had was gone to waste. They used what abilities they had to spare, to bring
me to extra art classes on Saturday mornings and encouraged me to be creative
in many aspects of my life. I have witnessed first hand the opposite in some of
my artist friends and it is incredibly difficult to overcome the obstacles of
an artistic career (of which there are many) without the support from the
people around you. To constantly have to justify or qualify your choice can be
exhaustive and draining of the creative juices which are necessary to making
art work.
I have received so much support over the years
in many many different ways. My mother used to sit up with me at three o’clock
in the morning while I tried to complete the fifteen samples I needed for the
next days project deadline in college. My dad encouraged me to get involved in
community art projects to help with my teaching skills and to help share my
work with more people. My sister, Grainne, shares my work with anyone who will
look and has accompanied me to markets for moral support. My brother, Jamie,
has gotten me tables at Christmas craft fairs and encouraged me to start this
blog. My friends have come to markets on Sunday mornings just so that I would
see a friendly face during the day and listened for hours about the next idea I
have had for a project. Gary
So I would like to express my gratitude for all
the wonderful abundance of good will, kind intentions and meaningful actions I
have received. Many people have been incredibly frustrated with the slowly
slowly approach I have taken in my art career. Thanks for hanging in there and
supporting me to go at my own pace (even if you didn’t agree).
If you are a fellow artist and you are reading
this and thinking to yourself “Of course she can make art, look at all the
support she has”. You are absolutely right. If you are not as fortunate as me
then I salute you and your courageous efforts to keep creating under very hard
circumstances. Art, beauty and creativity can lose much of its value in the
harsh economic conditions of recession. Making a buck becomes so important
because, unfortunately, you can’t eat paint. Seeking support from even one
person may be helpful to keep the dream alive of being a professional artist. I
know it has kept me going through tough times.
As I finish today, I just want to honour the
very special support my friend Paul gave to his brother Jack. I have told him
myself that I watched him with awe and respect at how he conducted himself
through this heart-breaking time in his life. He was and is brave, strong,
loving, funny and kind. I truly feel that Jack and Paul couldn’t have been
better brothers to each other. Paul wrote a beautiful eulogy for his brother
and with his sister, Sarah, delivered it with poise and grace to the whole
congregation on the day of Jacks funeral. The courage of their expression is
the inspiration for this post.
In
Loving Memory of
Jack Dalton
No comments:
Post a Comment