Uta Hagen in her book, A Challenge for the Actor, gives the following quote from George Bernard Shaw:
“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to further generations.”
This is a lofty life goal to be sure, but certainly one we all would wish to realize. It is a reminder to us as artists and arts educators of the path we should be following each day. The quotation is inspiring and brings me to recall other words that have inspired and challenged me over the years. A number of years ago, a good friend, colleague, master teacher and musical craftsman, Kenneth Snoeck, kept his students and fellow educators on the certain path by reminding us that our task is not the perpetual race for awards and trophies, but the constant pursuit of excellence. Since that time, I have tried to persuade my students, that although there can be great satisfaction in a successful result, the love of your art and the joy, is found in the process of getting there.