La Brodeuse ou Mette Gauguin by Paul Gauguin
"Gauguin was a stockbroker in Paris, married, had five kids. One day he came home from work and told his wife he was leaving, that he was through supporting the family, that he had had enough. Just like that he fucking took off. He said he had always felt that he was a painter, so he moved to a rat-infested shithole and started painting. His wife begged him to come back, his bosses told him he was insane, he didn't care, he was following his heart. He left Paris, moved to Rouen, went from Rouen to Arles, from Arles to Tahiti. He was searching for peace, contentment, trying to fill that fucking hole he felt inside, and he believed he could fill it. He died in Tahiti, blind and crazy from syphilis, but he did it. He filled his fucking hole, made beautiful work, made beautiful, beautiful work... It takes a brave man to walk away, to care so much that he doesn't care about anything else, to be willing to obey what he feels inside, to be willing to suffer the consequences of living for himself. Every time I stand before his work it makes me cry, and I cry because I'm proud of him, and happy for him, and because I admire him."(James Frey, My Friend Leonard)
Last year, the thing I kept holding on to for the rest of the year was Queen Latifah's quote. This year, I want Paul Gauguin to be my muse, my inspiration, my hero. His life was exquisite. Even calling it 'exquisite' would be an understatement. He was brave, the kind of brave that makes everyone fears. I hope this year you could enjoy your life more and fight for what you think is right. I hope you could be more Gauguin-esque; be bold. Choose your path, I don't know, be religious or atheist or agnostic, or come out of the closet, or do the things you never do before, challenge yourself to do the things you never do, not for the sake of the challenge but because you can. I hope you stop choosing to be mediocre unless you tried your best and still can't help but being one. Have a nice, inspiring ride.
