What would you give up?

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My 1st grader came home yesterday obsessed with Vincent Van Gogh. 
Not surprising, since she is a passionate kid and Vincent was nothing if not passionate.

As the rest of us listened, she ran through all the big and little details of his life:

He painted with such thick globs of oil paint that his paintings were almost, like, 3-D.

His brother’s name was Theo and Theo was a really helpful guy.

He only sold one painting his whole life. He never knew what we know. That he is very famous and very amazing.

He was so poor and sometimes he spent his little money on paint instead of food.

And that last one? That’s the one that really got her.
Paint instead of food. 
The one painting he did sell, she said, allowed him to buy a wheel of cheese. 
But on many other dark days, paint instead of food. 

We talked a lot about how he tried other careers but they didn’t work out.
Vincent Van Gogh couldn’t not paint.
Even at the price of paint instead of food.

It gets you to thinking, doesn’t it, about your own calling, your own drive, your own passions?
What would you trade?
What would you give up?
What have you given up?
Has it all been worth it?
Does it matter?

 

36 Responses to “What would you give up?”

  1. annamlewis

    I LOVE it when students ‘get’ an artist… for longer than a second in class!!!!

    I’m just curious, did he learn about Vincent in Art class or Picture Lady (I’m a huge advocate) or what?

    • liz_scanlon

      Love the Starry Night pic!
      She learned about him in art class — I think they read a book or two. I’ll find out which ones. What’s Picture Lady???

      • annamlewis

        I think the elementary school art classes teach Van Gogh in 1st grade here also.

        Picture Lady is the former name of the Art Appreciation parent volunteer. The program has been in schools all across the nation since at least the 60s. (I was talking with Eric Rohmann recently and he said, “Is that program still around?” I gave him an earful!)

        I have run the program here for 10 years and I am a big advocate. I just recently blogged about it on our nonfiction group blog~~~http://inkrethink.blospot.com

        Thanks so much for asking!

  2. jamarattigan

    Small One loves Vincent!
    I wish I had one tenth of his drive and passion. This post has me really thinking, and reassessing . . .

  3. Anonymous

    I think it’s important that my kids are seeing me start a business and be passionate about it and then carry that over into a happy mommy snuggled up in the hammock with them.

  5. laurasalas

    Great post, Liz!

    Since I haven’t worked a standard full-time job in more than 10 years, it’s hard to identify what got given up. If I had gone to work full-time at the paper (back before things went way south and buyouts started happening), I’d have gotten benefits, and we’d have been able to travel more.

    But I also gave up:

    office politics
    ineffective bosses
    mind-numbing bureaucracy
    clock-watching

    and oh, so much more. I wouldn’t trade my writing for anything. Thanks for reminding me:>)

  6. hipwritermama

    I love this post, Liz. My oldest would be impressed by those Van Gogh facts…

    Yes, I think one has to give up things to follow a passion. And whether it’s all worth it in the end…I think in most cases it is, but I think it depends on what it is that someone had to give up.

  7. bernadettenoll

    good questions

    What did we give up? benefits, an exhausted and mind numbed partner working 60-70 hour work weeks, children who only saw an exhausted papa, being the primary at-home parent. What did I gain? A partner who learned he loves to cook, more even exchange of household duties, kids who see a more even exchange of household duties, a bit more debt than before but that’s temporary. What a good question. Thanks for posing. I’m sure I’ll ponder that for a while.

  8. kellyrfineman

    I think I adore your first grader. You already know I adore you.

    Your questions make my head hurt a little bit, but I’m going to ponder them because I could really use some philosophical deep thought, instead of the usual surfacey stuff.