Inspiration Courtesy of Vidal Sassoon

Vidal Sassoon is 81 years old. If I live that long, I hope I will be as full of life and as surrounded by family and loved ones, as he was at the Cincinnati Art Museum last Thursday night. You see, he has a home on Mt. Adams and therefore is a neighbor of a friend of mine, who found out about this “members-only” special event we attended at the museum. With Vidal and his family just across the aisle a few rows behind us in the auditorium, we watched the premiere of a documentary film about his life. Afterwards, he talked onstage with museum director, Aaron Betsky, and then answered questions from the audience. I was moved by his answer to the question: “What kinds of things would you tell people to look at for inspiration?” Sassoon got very animated, touched his heart and said “Nothing outside themselves: true inspiration comes from within!” I understood Vidal to say that he believes we all contain much more potential than most of us ever realize or begin to tap. For him, one of the keys was to look inside to what really interested him, what got him enthused. He suggested doing this and fearlessly daring to be truly ourselves, our best selves. As recently as six or seven years ago, I wouldn’t have understood what he meant, as least not as well as I feel I do today. I’ll remember Vidal Sassoon for that and for two other gems he graciously shared with us. It took him and a whole team of people more than nine years, cutting hair every day, to realize the look that made him famous, he reminded us, emphasizing the importance of hard work and persistence, the old “success is ninety percent perspiration, ten percent inspiration” adage. When I realize I’ve only been at this for a little over five years, I’m reenergized and motivated to keep at it, stick with it, and continue to progress creating artwork. One of these two paintings of the Cincinnati Art Museum was done just a few weeks ago; the other about a year ago. Can you tell which one is my more recent work? Finally, another great piece of advice from Vidal Sassoon: “Eliminate the superfluous.” As I’ve thought about that for the past week, I’m beginning to appreciate that it’s good advice for my life, as well as my artwork.