Paint Each Other Gold: Community Edition

This painting is the first to come out of the “Paint Each Other Gold” series that I am starting. I hope it finds its way into the hands and homes of those who are moved by it most. Read on to see where I got my inspiration from and why I’m releasing this one first.

Just Listening to a Podcast

I was listening to the Almost 30 podcasts, one of my most favorite podcasts, when I heard something that would eventually lead me down the rabbit hole to inspire me for this piece.

Krista, one of the co-hosts of Almost 30, had recently gotten engaged and someone had sent her a poem to congratulate her. She read the poem on the podcast and I was very moved by it. I scribbled a few pieces of it down, did a quick google search and discovered that it was written by Hafiz, a 14th-century Persian poet and was titled “A Chance to Paint Each Other Gold”

The Poem – A Chance to Paint Each Other Gold by Hafiz

What would make a lover value you
over other lovers they have known?

There is something in a caring touch
that your memory has recorded
and holds dear
because it nourishes as few things can.

A sincere wanting and need to artfully give
is inherent in Love.

And Love will always get its way;
for patience it knows,
and what a strength that is.

We add or subtract to our beauty
with each movement and sound.

Look, we have a chance to help
paint each other gold.

The closest thing to amorous play
with God in any form
should be the goal
of any intimacy between us.

Us are those who seek that sacred friendship,
and can gaze at each other in appreciation,
For Love welcomes the Lover
to places we allow few to ever see

“Look, We Have a Chance to Help Paint Each Other Gold”

That line, it gets me, every time. That’s where the magic of life lies doesn’t it? We have a chance to help paint each other gold.

One more time.

We have a chance to help paint each other gold.

This is the line that inspired my art. But it’s not this first piece that you’re seeing today. Originally, I was inspired to paint a picture of lovers, which has been painted and will be released eventually, but shortly after painting it, COVID-19 hit and I started thinking about love on a grander scale and how we can all paint each other gold and thus this piece was born.

Why This is Especially Relevant During COVID-19

I decided to release this “Community Edition” first because I think it’s really relevant right now considering we’re in the midst of a pandemic that is affecting the entire world. The poem might have been written about lovers, but my favorite line applies to all of humanity. We have a chance to help paint each other gold and we always have, but this pandemic has given us a much needed reminder.

This Pandemic is Helping Us to See How We Affect Each Other More Clearly

After weeks of quarantining, we’re seeing just how much we affect one another and the power we have to lift each other up and come together. And because this isn’t just affecting one country, one race, one gender, one belief system, one political party, we’re being reminded of what unites us all: our humanity. And we’re getting better at seeing past the rest.

We’re also realizing the power of how we spend our money. We’re becoming more thoughtful with where we spend it, seeing more clearly how each dollar spent is a conscious choice to support or not support certain businesses, morals, ethics and causes.

With less travel and less pollution we’re seeing how the Earth is healing and restoring itself and wildlife is thriving. It’s got many of us thinking maybe we could do a better job taking care of our sacred home.

An Opportunity

We are being given an opportunity like never before, the whole world at once, to see how we influence everything and to make note and adjust accordingly. We’ve always been creating this life around us, but during this time we’re being reminded of the power that resides in us.

We have the chance to create more of what we’ve been creating, or we have the chance to paint each other, our homes, our loved ones, our jobs, our communities, our conversations, our internal dialogue, our lives, our earth, GOLD. Whether you put this painting up in your house or not, I hope this message resonates with you. After this collective pause is over and we go back to a normal life, I hope we remember this.

And in the spirit of painting each other gold…

I’ll be donating 30% of profits from this piece to One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, an organization that provides financial support to hourly workers such as waitresses/waiters who make most of their income from tips and are unable to do so due to COVID-19. I’m very fortunate to still have an income during this time, but I grew up with a single mother who waitressed and I can’t imagine the hardship this would have caused my family if this had happened during my childhood.

Ok, I’d love to know how you #painteachothergold and what you think of this piece. And you can shop my piece on Etsy here if you need this in your home or know someone that would love it.

Cheers to the chance,