Eccentricity In Paradise

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." - Henry Ward Beecher

Amid all of the crazy news of political conventions, people killing each other, baseball uniforms being destroyed; a little bit of eccentricity can be good. And there once was such an artist by the name of Howard Finster from Summerville, Georgia.

A famed folk artist.

Howard died back in 2001 but his art is remembered both in it's style and commentary on life. Not long ago, my wife and I visited his last home and the place he called, Paradise Gardens. It has fallen into disrepair and in need of monetary donations to keep it alive. But to walk through and see his handiwork is a marvel. You can see he touched many lives with his art which fit quite nicely with the eccentricity that is life.


As someone said in a review of his work, "Howard Finster is probably the best-known unknown artist in America. An eccentric whose evangelical work appeared on album covers for R.E.M., Talking Heads and landed him on The Tonight Show."

God's junk man.

"He called himself 'God's junk man' and spent a good part of his life bringing new meaning to the phrase 'Jesus Saves.' His Paradise Garden in Summerville, Georgia is a scrap collector's heaven in which broken glass, rusted bicycles, and cement-filled 'tater chip boxes' fueled his artistic and religious whimsy."


For art fanatics and people who would like to visit the gardens, the folks who work to maintain the property could use your help. The Paradise Garden Foundation is an effort to restore and preserve the work of Howard Finster; meant to keep his legacy alive, promoting education in the arts and extending its enrichment through the unique spirit, setting, and message which is Paradise Gardens.

If you have the heart and willingness to be a part of their efforts, visit the website. Art lasts a life time and the memory of those who bring it to us can as well. Howard took a step to change the lives of other people through his art work. Take a step yourself and see how you can as well.

Stay inspired my friends!

French Fries For All

“Service is a smile. It is an acknowledging wave, a reaching handshake, a friendly wink, and a warm hug. It's these simple acts that matter most, because the greatest service to a human soul has always been the kindness of recognition.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

I normally do not remember dreams and am not prone to read much into them. But every once in a while something from it sparks a idea. I find a word or good thought that I can share with others is usually the outcome from remembering a dream.

Like a friendly restaurant.

My dream took me to a non-descriptive restaurant or diner where the food was good. I could have stopped there but everyone seemed very friendly, with a smile and caring conversation. The wait staff and short-order cooks were enjoying atmosphere as well.

There are many places like this one from my dream that each of us have actually encountered. From the earliest days of time up to today, these places exist in one form or another. A place where people are simply friendly to each other.

The french fries were fantastic.

This brings me back to my high school days, sitting in the local diner after a Friday night basketball game. A large basket of warm french fries sitting on the table with friends gathered sharing and laughing with the whole place buzzing with excitement.

A smile for everyone.

We each can share a basket of fries, a smile and a warm greeting for those around us. It could be in the grocery store line, the bus or any place you travel. It only takes you and your ability to smile and offer a friendly gesture.

Have a great day everyone and stay inspired!

The Good Old Days Are Today

"These days, right now, these are the good old days. I've always approached it that way. That's why I'm still working. I'm not the guy who is ready to sit by the pool." - Richard D. Zanuck

I can remember those Saturday afternoons growing up, my folks watching the Lawrence Welk Show. They are fond memories and at the time, were the best of days.

Lawrence Welk was born in the German community of Strasburg, North Dakota, and Lawrence decided music would be his career. He was able to get his father to buy a $400 accordion, over $4000 in today's money and thus goes his career.

It may seem odd to show what some consider old-fashioned or corny music, but many songs you hear today were probably held in his music holding companies catalog. Lawrence Welk's copyright holdings became one of the largest, most respected and highly successful independent music publishing companies of all time.

Chances are no matter how you consumed music during the 70's and 80's you could not go a day without hearing at least one song and more than likely many songs published by Lawrence Welk. All of the standards of the day, pop, R&B, country, rock 'n' roll, adult contemporary were in his publishing house collection.

You name it, songs owned by the maestro and written by the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century came at you via radio, TV, movies, Broadway, concert halls, boom boxes, home stereo systems, elevators, grocery store ceilings and everywhere else music was presented. Explore those musical roots and maybe you will find something new in what is old.

As Lawrence would always say, "An’ a one, an’ a two …"

The good old days were good then and so are the days today the good ones.

Stay inspired my friends!

Successful Stairs

"Don't aim at success--the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the byproduct of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it."
Viktor Emil Frankl

People will respond to the question, "What do you want most in life" by saying, "success or money".

As defined, success is;

1. favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
4. person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.

Success can define us or signal the achievement of a goal.

But is success the final attainment and being defined as successful what we really want? I believe success or the idea of being successful is merely a process of achieving something. If we focus on the process of moving towards a goal, adjusting and persevering; then success is merely an end point to that process.

Success will take care of itself at that point.

And success is not an end to accomplishments in your life. It is only a step towards even more that you can do.

Consider success in your life as a step on the stairway you are building. It is another level in the story of your life, not an ending. Focus on the process and each success will motivate you even further. Life is a journey that continues until you are no longer able to continue. Let each success in your life be the tale of that journey and not the end point.

Stay inspired my friends!