Where does YOUR inspiration come from?

I had to say good-bye to an old friend a few weeks ago. Cyrano was my very first dog and what a dog he was! At 14.5 years old, he had been through a lot: glaucoma that lost him an eye a few years back, and a cancerous toe that resulted in a 'raptor' foot a few months ago. I suspect the cancer that got the toe was what got him in the end; notwithstanding he was as old as Moses.

That heartbreak of losing a beloved pet is shared by those of you who have been through it yourselves. Indeed, I was overwhelmed and my broken heart was filled by the outpouring of love and support for a grief well understood.

*The kindness and thoughtfulness of two friends in particular can never be repaid. Cyrano is buried on their farm, at the edge of a daisy-filled meadow, in good company with several of their pets who've passed, over the years.

Call we weird, but I think that when your heart is stretched to bursting by others' kindnesses, it has to affect how you think, how you feel. I don't think I'm changing direction all that much when it comes to my art, but I find that, perhaps, I've found the courage to make a departure from what's safe and to go a little deeper to explore what I really need to say. You always were a quiet boy, Cyrano-bo-bo-byrano, but you've changed who I am, perhaps on a level I don't yet understand, and it's sure to find it's way into and out through my art. I'll miss you xoxo.

#dog #bestfriend #canine #lovemyblackboy #cyrano