“Bee to the blossom, moth to the flame; Each to his passion; what’s in a name?” ~Helen Hunt Jackson

I am at the cottage for the long weekend.

I am sitting quietly in a comfy old chair, MacBook open on my lap, watching my first-born paint.

I watch him work magic on the piece that has consumed his attention for weeks. I stare at it and lose myself in the details.

The canvas is six feet by six feet; it’s a statement piece.

His choice to follow his talent and passion at this point in his life is a statement decision.

And those kind of decisions are turning points.

For months, he’s been rattling around pseudonyms under which to create his art, something that he felt encompassed his style.

Today, he found it.

Whether it be a title of a book, the name of your dog, or a personal identity, something’s name is an important piece of information.

He is now, 30 minutes later, flush with the fever of naming something. It’s powerful and inspiring to witness.

Passion in action.

Whether it be an orchestra conductor, basketball player, or hair stylist, passion is an enchanting thing to witness; its energy is contagious regardless of the manner of its expression.

There is some sort of alchemical process that occurs when we step into ourselves, when we embrace who we really are, what we really want. When we claim our calling, when we put a name to it, magic happens inside us, allowing us to create magic outside of us.

We are all of us artists of one kind or another. We are each of us the weavers, painters, conductors of our personal tapestry, canvas or instrument, that which we call our life.

Your life.

Question: What’s your passion?

Because if you want to make magic with it, you better know its name.

“To create art with all the passion in one’s soul is to live art with all the beauty in one’s heart.” ~Aberjhani