I have always been a pretty healthy guy. I'm not a gym-rat, but i get my fair share of workouts in. I'm not a strict vegan, but I'm conscious about what i let my body consume. So when i didn't feel well the other week, I thought it couldn't be more than a bad cold. Then briefly I thought maybe I had a respiratory infection. I had never had one, but I was feeling something in my chest that was unfamiliar. As it turned out, it was something far more serious that a respiratory infection. I entered the Urgent Care thinking I would be there in less than an hour, get whatever medicine they could give me and return to my family in time to enjoy the weekend. The sickness took me away my childrenand i spent a few days in a hospital with needles in my arms. I longed for family, rest, peace, health ..... So many things i saw that could be taken away from me in a blink of an eye. You would think that my mind would be dominated by my condition. Can I tell you what a large portion of my thoughts centered around? ART
I lay in a hospital bed, uncomfortable, often times in pain. I prayed. I laughed. I listened to my family and friends encouraging words. AND MY MIND WOULD DRIFT towards ART. I kept thinking about the art I created - the art i needed to created. I thought about the upcoming projects and everything i needed to paints and draw.
My father told me once how he snuck cigarettes into the hospital for my grandfather. I could just imagine this old man with his weak heart, stealing a puff or two. There I was in the same position. I didnt crave cigarettes or wine or whatever devices others seek. I requested my multimedia sketch pad and tin pan full of Micron pens and watercolors. Art is what God gave me and Art is what eased my mind. I had to keep my arm at a certain angle so the IV drip still worked and the machines didnt beep. But there i was in a hospital robe, painting and drawing.
I have been unable to be in my real studio and do on serious painting, and I look forward to that time. But I am grateful that ART is there for me in my times of needs. It is my gift from God and I try not to take it for granted. One of the last things I did before I fell ill was hang more art at the Chicago Theological Seminary.
