PASSION'S FRUIT

We recently visited the Ashley Bryan exhibit at the Farnsworth Art Museum in nearby Rockland. It was in a word…Stunning! Especially when you know his story. 

Born in Harlem, raised in the Bronx, at age 19 Bryan was drafted into the US Army and served in a segregated unit landing at Normandy on D-Day. Years later, after a long and distinguished career as an artist, author, and educator, he retired to Cranberry Island, ME. He died in February at age 98--as recipient of the Farnsworth’s 2022 “Maine in America” Award. 

Was Bryan born an artist? No. Was he born with artistic ability? Yes. Did family, friends and others encourage him? Of course. But could they make him into the artist he became? No. Most importantly, was he passionate about his artistic ability? Well, the story is he stowed some of his art supplies in his gas mask while serving during WWII. So, yeah, I’d say so.

My point?

Only Ashley Bryan could act upon Ashley Bryan’s passion for artistic creativity. Only he could THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING IN HIM WORTH BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT no matter what the odds. And ultimately, only he could believe and trust in his abilities to bear his own passion’s fruit.

So what about you and me? Which of our passions are we acting upon today? While our lives may be vastly different from Bryan’s, like him, we (and only we) have the ability to think and act upon our passions. If we never stop to think about them, we will never bear the uniquely delicious fruit each of us has to offer. Fruit that the world so desperately desires…and needs.

TODAY.

LET’S GIVE THE WORLD & YOURSELF A GIFT.

LET’S THINK ABOUT HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR PASSIONS.