"My Beautiful Friends, Can You Keep A Secret?"
I'm sorry to inform you, Ben Folds, but in fact I, Molly, am the luckiest. I have been blessed by non-existent gods. Surrounding me in life are some very amazing and creative people. I'd like to take pause now and reflect on a few of them. Some might read this, some most definitely won't, but for my sake more than theirs I want to get this down in writing.
So now, in no particular order, I present to you the people who inspire me.
Hellen. Your creativity shines most often through your comedy. The slight faces you make in photographs, the catchphrases you make up that keep us all laughing, and the drawings (who could forget the baby watching Kristen have sex?), they all come from some off-the-wall place in your brain that I find uniquely Hellen. Anyone who reads your writing or even just looks at the decorations around your room can see that you see life through a lens that is much different from most. I hope I know you for many, many more years in hopes that I can catch a glimpse of what the world looks like to you. And even if I never see things through your eyes, I have a feeling just knowing you has widened by perspective and helped me create a beautiful world that's all my own.
Jane. Compared to all that you know about me, you are but a stranger. But even as a stranger, you have opened up possibilities to me that I never knew existed. You've introduced me to artistic people who reminded me how beautiful it is to create something. I've started drawing again because of you. You were put on this earth to help people, and that's exactly what you've done. You build people up and give them the encouragement they need to survive without pain. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm starting to feel whole again.
Carl. I could never ask for more. More than anyone else, you understand the fight inside. The fight between the creative person who needs to express itself, and the insecure person who tells you you're not even worth a sheet a paper, or a guitar pic. I am so glad that you are pushing through fear and creating such beautiful music. I enjoy sitting in the other room drawing while listening to you experiment and grow more and more innovative with every song. It inspires me to work toward my goals. Because I know that with time, your talent can lead to all of your dreams coming true. And I can't wait to be sitting right beside you when they do.
Kristen. I am constantly amazed by you. Your artistic mind always finds an outlet. You wear your art everyday for the world to see. If it weren't for the constant competition between us in high school, I don't think I would appreciate fashion the way I do today. Your photography takes my breath away. I look at your pictures and wonder why they aren't in magazines. I can see your world when I look at your photos. A mix of vibrant color and somewhat forlorn scenes of forgotten places and people. I look up to you because you never let the insecure voice inside suppress your imagination. It always comes through, and I know it always will.
Luke. Your imagination is probably the most creative I've ever encountered. Just a conversation with you will bring up so many original ideas I would have never thought of. Please continue to dream so big, because in those dreams I get to see all the creativity Luke has to offer. You're one of the rare people in this world who has been able to hold on to the imagination that you as a child had. Michel Gondry be damned, Luke Henley can entertain his friends for hours with games like guessing what different hand shapes mean and daydreaming up the artists compound he's going to start. I could go on about your creativity in music, writing, acting and so forth, but to me I am most inspired just by the wonderful and original ideas you constantly dream up.
Dad. You are what I strive to be as an artist. I seek no ones approval as much as I seek yours. For you to acknowledge talent I have in drawing means the absolute world to me. Seeing you sculpt inspires me to be much more than what I currently am. You speak of quitting art but I know that will never happen. Even if you stopped sculpting you would remain in artist through and through. Knowing and understanding the power of all things seen through the eye is a gift that not all people have. But you have it, and I hope someday to be even a fraction of the artist you are.
There are so many more people I could talk about (Nico, Carolyn, Alex, etc.) but writing this has already taken up a good chunk of my work day. It's harder than you think to put into words what makes people so amazing. So that's it. It's wonderful to know that if I'm feeling uncreative all I have to do is look to the people around me to be inspired. I am a very lucky girl.
So now, in no particular order, I present to you the people who inspire me.
Hellen. Your creativity shines most often through your comedy. The slight faces you make in photographs, the catchphrases you make up that keep us all laughing, and the drawings (who could forget the baby watching Kristen have sex?), they all come from some off-the-wall place in your brain that I find uniquely Hellen. Anyone who reads your writing or even just looks at the decorations around your room can see that you see life through a lens that is much different from most. I hope I know you for many, many more years in hopes that I can catch a glimpse of what the world looks like to you. And even if I never see things through your eyes, I have a feeling just knowing you has widened by perspective and helped me create a beautiful world that's all my own.
Jane. Compared to all that you know about me, you are but a stranger. But even as a stranger, you have opened up possibilities to me that I never knew existed. You've introduced me to artistic people who reminded me how beautiful it is to create something. I've started drawing again because of you. You were put on this earth to help people, and that's exactly what you've done. You build people up and give them the encouragement they need to survive without pain. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm starting to feel whole again.
Carl. I could never ask for more. More than anyone else, you understand the fight inside. The fight between the creative person who needs to express itself, and the insecure person who tells you you're not even worth a sheet a paper, or a guitar pic. I am so glad that you are pushing through fear and creating such beautiful music. I enjoy sitting in the other room drawing while listening to you experiment and grow more and more innovative with every song. It inspires me to work toward my goals. Because I know that with time, your talent can lead to all of your dreams coming true. And I can't wait to be sitting right beside you when they do.
Kristen. I am constantly amazed by you. Your artistic mind always finds an outlet. You wear your art everyday for the world to see. If it weren't for the constant competition between us in high school, I don't think I would appreciate fashion the way I do today. Your photography takes my breath away. I look at your pictures and wonder why they aren't in magazines. I can see your world when I look at your photos. A mix of vibrant color and somewhat forlorn scenes of forgotten places and people. I look up to you because you never let the insecure voice inside suppress your imagination. It always comes through, and I know it always will.
Luke. Your imagination is probably the most creative I've ever encountered. Just a conversation with you will bring up so many original ideas I would have never thought of. Please continue to dream so big, because in those dreams I get to see all the creativity Luke has to offer. You're one of the rare people in this world who has been able to hold on to the imagination that you as a child had. Michel Gondry be damned, Luke Henley can entertain his friends for hours with games like guessing what different hand shapes mean and daydreaming up the artists compound he's going to start. I could go on about your creativity in music, writing, acting and so forth, but to me I am most inspired just by the wonderful and original ideas you constantly dream up.
Dad. You are what I strive to be as an artist. I seek no ones approval as much as I seek yours. For you to acknowledge talent I have in drawing means the absolute world to me. Seeing you sculpt inspires me to be much more than what I currently am. You speak of quitting art but I know that will never happen. Even if you stopped sculpting you would remain in artist through and through. Knowing and understanding the power of all things seen through the eye is a gift that not all people have. But you have it, and I hope someday to be even a fraction of the artist you are.
There are so many more people I could talk about (Nico, Carolyn, Alex, etc.) but writing this has already taken up a good chunk of my work day. It's harder than you think to put into words what makes people so amazing. So that's it. It's wonderful to know that if I'm feeling uncreative all I have to do is look to the people around me to be inspired. I am a very lucky girl.