A few weeks ago I gave my neighbors a chair that I had made to replace the one that was stolen from their porch. This was the first project that I committed to after starting the MFA program here at Clemson University. I saw it as art as social gesture, art as gift, art as righting the wrong of another.
I have hardly spoken with those neighbors in the past, and have not seen them since the delivery of the chair, which happened in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. On Valentine's Day, around 9:00pm, they came out and invited me to come inside. Once inside, we reintroduced ourselves and I asked them if they had gotten the chair. They let me know that it didn't take long to figure out who had given the gift and that they love it. I walked into the living room and there is sat, up against a wall, with the yellow bow still attached. They then presented me with a cake! a chocolate cake with the words "thank you :)" spelled out in almond slivers! The smiley is what put me over the edge. I was overwhelmed with gratitude at their gratitude; a true exchange of solid gold goodness. I was blessed that night, and now have two new friends. We conversed for a bit, about their homes in India and about our experiences in graduate school (one is a biochemistry PhD student and the other is a biology PhD student). After a really nice chat, I said goodnight and went home. It was truly beautiful.
I often question the value of art, especially my own, and wonder about the effects from the art versus the effort that it takes to start and finish a project. This reciprocation seemed to spell out value for me. I knew that the project was not just for critique, or for a website, or for conversation, but that it had really done something. Although small in a way (they told me they didn't even use the old chair and didn't notice it was gone for some time) the gesture broke the ice for real friendships to begin. I am so thankful for this experience, I seriously was somewhere off in the clouds with excitement. What began as a gesture of noticing someone who had been treated poorly ended up being the very thing that affirmed and encouraged me. It is hard to recognize the value of what we do when all we do is critique it once it is finished, or even before. It is difficult to understand the brevity that a project can have when nobody sees it outside of an art bubble. But the thing I have learned from this, which I already knew but doubt often, is that creative endeavors can truly embody what Jesus meant when he said, love your neighbor. In this I find wonderful comfort and encouragement. And plus, I really love cake.
That was lovely. :)
ReplyDelete