Hidden Treasures

The word SCULPTURE - COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD MEANING: TO REMOVE, MOST OFTEN USING WOOD OR STONE." (Joseph Conrad - http://stonecutter.blogspot.com/2011/05/stone-sculpture-why-bother.html)

Many of us are consumed with our careers or being the best person we can be however, no matter how well my personal performance, I can never make myself great. Greatness comes from the ability to see greatness in others, to be instrumental in the greatness of others. What makes a great father is his child's perception of him. What makes a great wife is her husband’s perception of her. A great person is so, because of the ability of others to see greatness in them. A lot of people have opportunities available to them because they talk well, some because they are charismatic. Some are given opportunities by virtue of the genes they are born with, however greatness does not always come in the obvious forms.

In the movie Avatar the leading actress, Zoe Saldana is holding in her arms the small frame (in comparison to herself), of the dyeing broken body of the leading actor played by Sam Worthington who is unable to breathe on his own, she says to him, “I see you”. She is able to see the great person she knows him to be, and the great person he is yet to become. Together with her tribe members, they help him to make a full transition.

Creative people have the ability to see greatness in things or people that may not yet be obvious to the untrained eye. Many people plant flowers, but a landscape designer or artist, has creative vision. You can give them the roughest most chaotic land mass and when they are done, it has been transformed into something beautiful. Many people can sing, I can only copy an artist who has given meaning to the words because of the tone of their voice and the emphasis placed on certain words. Whenever people find out I draw, they frequently tell me they themselves draw or know of someone who does. But that is different from being an artist.

A good example someone who is an artist as opposed to someone who draws or someone who sculpts can be seen in Michelangelo when he created the statue of David. In a story told by Michael Clark, he talks about Michelangelo’s search for the right piece of stone. When he finds it, the stone merchant inquires why he chose that particular piece of stone. The stone merchant says, "You have seen hundreds of pieces of marble in all of these shops and all of them are of greater quality than this one. Why have you chosen such an inferior stone to carve your statue from? His answer was simple, yet to the point, I have chosen this one, because this one is the one with David in it!" (http://www.awildernessvoice.com/David.pdf).

One of the greatest kings who ever lived was David. David however was not the first choice. When the prophet Samuel went looking for the next king he was presented with David’s seven older brothers, all of whom had the appearance of being the next king. But Samuel knew these were not the one, he knew that surely there must be another. Then the father brought in David the smallest and most unlikely choice, this was the one. Samuel saw something not recognized by the untrained eye. Samuel made opportunity available for David, and when the challenge arose David was the one who was ready.

You have the potential to surround yourself with those who see great things, you also have the potential to be a great artist or visionary, perhaps the creative who see’s the next David waiting to be released from stone.