The harder you work…the luckier you get!

The harder you work, the luckier you get, or at least that was the sage advice I got from the highly successful and famous cartoonist, Lee Holley.  I was fortunate to meet Lee and his beautiful wife, Trish, at my gallery.  We talked about art, cartoons, hard work, passion for art, writing and everything in between.  He and his wife came up to our house for a Sunday brunch and we had a wonderful visit.  The thing that impressed me the most about Lee, besides his incredible talent to cartoon, was his humility, humanity, and willingness to give of himself.  His life is a good example of what it means to “follow your bliss”.  His passion and talent for drawing unfolded in the world of cartoons.  Lee was a major force in the cartoon industry, working for Warner Brothers most of his adult life.  I grew up reading the comic books that featured his drawings, such as the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Dennis the Menace, and his very own cartoon series, “Pony Tail.”

He told me that when people say to him, “You’re so lucky, you were born with talent”, he replies, “It was all more about hard work and putting the time into practicing his craft.”  He loved to doodle and cartoon, even as a kid, so he took that passion and practiced, practiced, and practiced.  That is what he says may him so successful.

I think Lee was born with a passion to draw, however, what he says is also true and can be a life lesson for all of us wishing to accomplish our goals, whatever they may be.  I paint and write, it is what I do.  So I continue to tell myself, as Lee said, “Practice, practice, practice!”.  And I do write and paint everyday.

And while I work at my craft of writing and painting, I am the happiest I can be, completely engaged in my creative process.  And possibly, so is Lee.