“Over the years, you will add a rich compost of experience to every day's work.”
—message from a friend
Drawing of baby and mother cow from my sketchbook, October 2019
I recently stumbled upon this old email from back in October: a message from my friend, the poet Margaret Campbell. I hope this message might encourage others, and in that spirit, I share it here with you.
Drawing of cows from my sketchbook, October 2019
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your letter, and appreciation of the poems…
I can see that you have every reason to trust your instincts about how to proceed with every second of your life....artist, mother, human being. The cup of tea, the time staring into space, the housecleaning, the looking at cows, the painting, it's all you, the person who has multiple avenues of expression, painting, poetry, prose, and who realizes that everything goes into everything. Nothing is wasted. No moment, no thought, no iota of energy. You can't really control this. It is who you are.
Being hard on oneself is, I think, nothing more than having a good, solid sense of what you have learned to call "the best," and you are fortunate enough to aspire to produce the best. Having that kind of ambition isn't easy. There are some who might ignore you or fail to recognize your "radiance," but you can inhabit your own universe/environment/world, and tend it with all your love, passion, energy, and skill. Over the years, you will add a rich compost of experience to every day's work.
Do not suffer, or waste energy tormenting yourself. You have already done enough great things to justify a life.
Just keep on living.
With great affection,
Peggy
“Tea and Lemon” oil on canvas mounted on board, 11.5x8.5 inches
Margaret (Peggy) Campbell is a kindred spirit; her creative work includes poems, short stories and essays. She is also my neighbor and friend.
I have had the honor of publishing three of her poems: