Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

These are the lyrics from an old Don McLean song about Vincent van Gogh. I learned this song on the guitar many years ago, but I never really understood its meaning. This past week the meaning became clear as I had an “artistic moment.” Those who know me well might be surprised and somewhat concerned about my evolving mental state. You see, I am not known to be a person interested in art, particularly paintings. I may have mentioned this before; I am the student who was told by their 8th-grade art teacher to stop taking art classes and take shop instead. While it is true, I don’t incline towards artwork, there have been times when painters or sculptors have moved me. In 2012 I traveled to Italy, visiting Florence and Rome. The artwork in these places is, of course, some of the best in the world. I was captivated by the works of Raphael and Michelangelo. Staring up at the Sistine Chapel was inspiring and created a memorable moment for me.

Since 2012, I have reverted to my typical art slump. Mostly through a lack of effort on my part, I have not seen any artwork that has moved my spirit. That is, until this past Monday, when I visited the Vincent van Gogh exhibit at the Houston Art Museum. This excursion was my sister’s idea, and I decided to play along. At a minimum, my wife, mother, and sister would need a driver. Before this visit, I possessed minimal knowledge regarding Vincent van Gogh. I knew he was a great artist who was known to be mentally unstable. Who could forget the narrative of him cutting off his ear? I knew a few of his paintings, such as his Sunflowers and The Starry Night. The crowd was large as we begin moving through the gallery. The audio guide provided was very good. Many times these museum guides either do not work or are talking about the wrong thing at the wrong time. The Houston Art Museum did a great job with this exhibit.

It was apparent after viewing a few of van Gogh’s original works that I was in the presence of a master artist. What do I mean when I say an “artistic moment” has occurred? First, time sort of stops, and I become absorbed in the painting. I can let go of my exhaustive, logical, overthinking self and move into a peaceful mental zone where it almost seems my mind explodes with possibility. Sounds pretty dramatic, right? Well, it really happened to me, and there were no drugs, alcohol, or aliens involved.

I learned a lot about Vincent van Gogh during this visit. He was indeed a tortured soul. Even though he struggled with mental health, he never stopped painting. Towards the end of his life, he was painting close to 200 works per year. He wrote many letters to his brother, which were fortunately kept providing us insight to van Gogh’s life.  Don McLean’s song Starry Starry Night is a window into van Gogh’s life. Vincent van Gogh died at the age of 37. Even though he lived only a short time, he is considered one of the greatest painters of all time.

So far, I have only been touched by the artwork of masters. Last year I visited a university art museum, and all I could think about was where I would eat lunch. Although I am far from an art connoisseur, I have started down the road of appreciation.

You need art in your life. There was no one less appreciative of the value of art than me. By opening myself to new opportunities, art now brings joy to my life, at least when it is painted by one of the great artists. Appreciation of art will make your life better. If you have not done so, take a chance and let artwork into your life. If you are near Houston, see the Vincent van Gogh exhibit at the Houston Art Museum.

Make the most of this day!