This Art Inspires Me

I saw this photo on Facebook the other day. My friend, Denita Long, took it.

Something about it caught my attention.

I’ve put up a few fence posts in my time.

I’ve had to stand on the bars that attach the auger to the tractor more than once when the ground did not want to yield and the auger tip was dull but the post holes still needed to be finished.

I appreciate the amount of work it takes to put up a fence.

Why I’m in love with this picture though, is the beauty of its simplicity, and what it says to me.

It speaks to me of worn gloves and weathered hands, of self-sufficiency, good values, and hard work.

It speaks to me of people who are not on the front page of anything. Who don’t dress to impress. People who show up every day just because there’s work to be done.

It reminds me there are hardworking men and women in overalls and boots working out there without a safety net. Season to season, crop to crop.

It tells me there are still places where the air is fresh, where one can breathe without feeling smothered.

It has also reminded me of why I’m doing what I do now instead of working for someone else.

I remember the satisfaction of of building our barn and fencing in the pasture, of raising cows and hogs for food, of planting a garden of vegetables (no matter how lame the attempt).

Those things feel real, like your work is for your heart and soul, not just for your wallet. Like you’re tethered to the earth and all its bounty. Like you’re part of it.

This work feels like that in a way. It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like I’m a part of humanity in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

It’s work done for the love of the work, it’s my heart I share with anyone who chooses to read, it’s my opportunity to build bridges.

It’s a lot of work–joyful work–and it’s worth whatever it takes to keep it going.

Many days I feel like I’m either on the verge of quitting, or I’m about to do something very meaningful.

But I can’t not do it, the building of the bridges I mean. Whether it’s through writing, working, personal contact, whatever, I’m a bridge builder.

I have a need to find the connections we have to each other as human beings.

I often experience these connections through art, like the picture of the fence post. Besides what I feel about the picture, it also tells me about the artist, in this case my friend Denita.

She doesn’t overlook the extraordinary that can be found in the everyday. That’s a rare quality. Her work is amazing!

I appreciate the fact that she’s putting it out there for everyone to enjoy. I know how hard that can be.

I’m inspired to work harder, to keep working out there without a safety net. Season to season, post to post.

Enjoying the work as long as it lasts.

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To check out Denita Long’s work, click here: Denita’s awesome website!

Go through the galleries and Journal-there are lots of amazing photos and stories there. From here, you can access her Etsy page if you find a picture you must have (I had to have one of the fence post, of course!) And while you’re on her website, read her ABOUT ME page-it’s wonderfully intriguing!

Thanks Denita, for letting me share your work with my oversized family!

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