Recently I went to the Schack Art Center in Everett, Washington with some fellow colored pencil artists. I must say that if you’ve never been to this gallery you need to treat yourself and go. Their exhibits are ever-changing and wonderful!
However, as much as I love this place, I’m not writing this as an endorsement for Schack. It’s what I brought home with me from the gallery gift shop that was most important and it was very much connected to the awesome piece of art you see in the photo created by the talented Pamela Mummy. Three of her ceramic pieces were on display and I just had to have at least one. Let me tell you, it was hard to choose which one to buy! All three spoke to me and made be smile but my wallet told me I could choose only one. So, I picked the one in the photo. But that piece is still not the most important thing I brought home.
When I brought my purchase to the counter I asked about the artist. I wanted to know more about them, who they were, what they created, and if they were local. I fully intended to write a note to them to say how much I loved their work and even inquire if they taught classes. I was smitten. The clerk told me her name but said that, sadly, Ms. Mummy had recently passed away from cancer. The pieces in the shop were all they had left of her work. It made me sad that such talent was now snuffed out and I couldn’t reach out to tell her how much I admired her work. When I got home with my treasure I looked up her website and was simply awed at the work she had done. It made me even sadder that she was no longer here. But I silently sent her thanks for being true to her higher, creative self and enriching the world with her work while she was alive. Because she was here she made the world a little better place. She created joy and wonder with her art.
It was that moment that I realized that the second, and bigger, treasure I brought home was the knowledge of just how much our talents, gifts and passions live on. They aren’t snuffed out but, instead ripple outwards into the world. And that does not apply to just artists. Whether you are an accountant, medical professional, parent, teacher, diplomat, store clerk or “whatever”, you can honor the talents you came to this life with and leave a legacy of making a difference while you’re here. What we do from the heart for others is passed on whether we see it or not. Our efforts live on in those whose lives we touch directly or indirectly.
Will we get it perfect every time? No. But we should keep trying anyway. I’m willing to bet that there were some failed pieces in Pamela Mummy’s studio especially in the beginning of her career. But she kept at it and honored her passion. I’m grateful she did. Because that day in the gallery I brought home an awesome piece of her art but also a second treasure that I thank her for each time I look at her ceramic piece. And I look at it every day!