Neil Gaiman, a man known to me through his novel, AMERICAN GODS.\u00a0 I’ve not followed his work.\u00a0 Until recently.\u00a0 Michelle Fairchild, a “cosmic cowgirl,” forwarded a commencement address that Gaiman delivered to The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, on May 17, 2012.\u00a0 I paid attention to it for two reasons.\u00a0 One: I respect the person who shared it with me enough to invest 20 minutes of my work day to listening.\u00a0 Two:\u00a0 May 17 is the day my mother died in 1972.\u00a0 Throughout my life I’ve paid special attention to things that “happen” on that day.<\/p>\n
I became a graduate as I listened to Gaiman’s masterfully prepared speech and impeccable delivery.\u00a0 I realized in the instant I was hearing it that the material here was worth excavating.\u00a0 I shared it with another friend and we promised to listen to it or read the text of it, every day, for 28 days. That experience has been filled with insight.\u00a0 And I plan on providing you a similar opportunity for the month of February.<\/p>\n
Each day I will share a visual partner to the words that Gaiman shared with graduating art students. Be clear.\u00a0 This message is flexible.\u00a0 Exchange the word “art” for whatever it is that you do, that is unique to you, that you are passionate about.\u00a0 His life lessons cross industry, age and class.\u00a0 His life lessons drawn from his own Art, are universally applicable.<\/p>\n
So, tomorrow, begins a journey with a man I’ve not met but whose words have impacted me and the trajectory of my life in a profound way.\u00a0 It’s not often that anyone gets to say that about a set of words.<\/p>\n
I trust each piece to you, dear reader.\u00a0 I invite you to comment and enter an exchange with me and our other readers.\u00a0 And I invite you to find Neil Gaiman’s speech on YouTube and enjoy your own experience with his powerful delivery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Neil Gaiman, a man known to me through his novel, AMERICAN GODS.\u00a0 I’ve not followed his work.\u00a0 Until recently.\u00a0 Michelle Fairchild, a “cosmic cowgirl,” forwarded a commencement address that Gaiman delivered to The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, on May 17, 2012.\u00a0 I paid attention to it for two reasons.\u00a0 One: I respect the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[735,734,737,10,736,733],"class_list":["post-1399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-joys","tag-american-gods","tag-commencement-address","tag-cosmic-cowgirls","tag-mary-anne-radmacher","tag-michelle-fairchild","tag-neil-gaiman"],"yoast_head":"\n