Saturday, April 11, 2009

To Dream as Tasha

I believe I wear my dreams on my sleeve. My heart I can hide. My face can hold the furrows and frowns down, yet my dreams are everpresent. They resonate in all that I do, often more than they should. The things that rile me are like diesel for my engine. I begin to rumble and soon enough my only desire is to move. Get things done! Design something better! Start your own! Make your own!
Dream.
Sadly, my motivation is often crumpled by disbelief in my own ability. I know I can learn and do all that I dream, yet even the thoughts of time and energy slow me down to a stop.
Blasted procrastination.
Enthusiasm loses touch with purpose. Too often, my dreams stay around the general area of my mouth, sometimes making their way to the pencil.
This is when I look to others for inspiration. We all need the success stories people have to tell.

Tasha Tudor, an illustrator who recently passed away, made life exactly what she dreamed. When first attempting to publish her illustrated book, she visited every publishing company in New York. Nearly all of them turned her "quaint little pictures" down. All except one. Her illustrations are now loved and seen by many. Depicting an older, yet beloved times, her art has become a staple of children's illustration.
She not only painted a late 19th century time, she lived it. Raising cows, chickens, goats, and little corgys, weaving and making her own clothes, and being mostly self sufficient into her 90's were all things she accomplished while still managing to remain a working artistic icon.
She was who she dreamed to be.

Now, I believe she was rather selfish. She lived alone. She did what she wanted. She was whatever she wanted. She was not open to anybody but a select few, and she often was unaccepting of people
Even still, I admire her.
Through her art she impacted. Through her life she inspired.



















I hope that many, including myself, can learn to dream as she did, yet live beyond ourselves so that we may serve a greater purpose.