Behold, there went out an Artist: And it came to pass, as he drew, some fell by the way side, was never seen, and it was lost.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much depth; and immediately it sprang up, because of gratuitous support: But when it was looked at critically, in the light of day it was scorched; and because it had no depth, it too died.

And some fell among opposition, and even though it had merit it was choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Finally some fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

I have taken some liberties here with the text to make a point about our work as artists. I hope no one is offended.

Some of our work is simply not good, but that does not mean it is bad, because art is a process of learning and growing. Some gets immediate support, but not in ways that are helpful, because the support is not really honest. As soon as it is looked at more critically, it falters. Still other pieces, while excellent, meet with opposition and are held back for reasons of politics or popularity.

Finally, some of our work will fall in the right place. Here it will be seen for what it is, and appreciated for what it brings. All of us look to find this place.

While this parable has often been used in our culture in negative ways, the original intent was optimistic in its outlook. It demonstrated that despite failures and opposition, some seed can be successful, take root and produce a crop.

Finally, I think Artists and farmers have a lot in common. Both trust to an uncertain future, both have good and bad years, both must persevere.