Vincent van Gogh was an artist in the 1800s.  During his life, he painted 800 pieces and only sold one.  To a friend.  He died at age 37 poor, destitute and hungry.

Today, his paintings sell for hundreds of millions of dollars.

So was he an artist?  Even though he wasn’t appreciated until he was gone?

I was recently in Glasgow at the World Irish Dance Championships and I brought my young sons into the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.  I don’t know a lot about art, but I do like looking at it.

One painting drew me over.  Even though it was just a portrait, I couldn’t look away.  So much so that I took a picture of it.  Then I realized it was a painting by Vincent van Gogh of a Scottish art dealer he shared a flat with in Paris.  There was a quote beside the picture where van Gogh said, “I want to make portraits that will be revelations… in a century’s time… I am not trying to paint using a photographic likeness.”

Well he succeeded.

He had a gift, as we all do.  He couldn’t stop himself from using it.  Society wasn’t buying what he was selling, but he kept painting epic pieces.

Vincent once said, “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”  It would be a blank canvas.  No colour.  No inspiration.  He said, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.”

What do you dream of?  Are you taking steps in your life to make your dreams come true? Even if the world around you doesn’t get it yet?

Never stop making a masterpiece of your own life.  You only have one canvas.  Make it a picture to remember.