Inspiration

When I was first starting out in the illustration business, the above Van Dyke quote was one that I looked to often during the (many) times I felt my work was too inferior to compete with the many other very talented illustrators out there. This proverb reminded me that it's not ultimately a competition or about being the best in my chosen field, but simply doing my best with the talent I have. Van Dyke's quotation didn't instantly cure my inferiority issues, but it steered me towards a more optimistic perspective. And from that branch in the forest, I was able to sing/draw/illustrate with a more balanced, realistic expectation of my artistic value and worth in the scheme of things.