We were raised to glorify God—the giver of all good gifts—in everything. Seen and the unseen, big and small. Helen was raised much the same way, and together we aim to pass these values to our children.
everyone is an artist?
Jim Simmons, the legendary investor and mathematician, once said:
“Be guided by beauty. I really mean that. I think pretty much everything I’ve done has had an aesthetic component — at least to me. Now, you might think, “Building a company that’s trading bonds? What’s so aesthetic about that?” What’s aesthetic about it is doing it right. Getting the right kind of people, and approaching the problem, and doing it right. And if you feel that you’re the first one to do it right, that’s a terrific feeling. It’s a beautiful thing to do something right.”
This captures my belief that artistry transcends traditional “creative” work, personality types, and gifting. Some of us may feel more naturally inclined toward artistry, but I believe all of us can choose to approach our work as art. How? By caring. By investing ourselves wholeheartedly into whatever is in front of us.
As Elbert Hubbard put it: “Art is not a thing—it is a way.”
My time at The Met left me a with a quiet sadness. So much meaning, care, and craftsmanship have been sacrificed by our modern world in the name of efficiency and progress.
But we can change that, and the remedy starts small: each of us committing to care more about the little details in our daily lives.
To make the world better, start with one small thing. Plant a tree, build a window box, sweep the street, clean the closet, have a real conversation with your neighbor. These small acts compound, and momentum builds.
