I hope you've already seen this video of author Neil Gaiman addressing the University of the Arts Class of 2012 at their graduation.
I hope you've listened to it more than once, especially if you're finishing school (at any level) and are about to go out into the big wide world of work and responsibility and joy and distress and the chance to make a difference.
"Make. Good. Art," says Gaiman. Even if you don't have an artistic bone in your body, those words are meant for you: whatever it is that you are passionate about, do it well, and keep on doing it - through good times or bad, whether it's your vocation or avocation.
It may be your "day job" which fulfills you (like Maggie in Paper Daughter) or something after hours (like Haven in Illuminate).
It may be the first thing you try which makes the biggest impact in the lives of others (like Lex in Croak) or maybe the tenth (like Mercy).
It may be something that you've studied and trained for which turns out to be your best gift to those around you (like Sage in The False Prince) or perhaps not (like Ismae in Grave Mercy).
I hope you'll listen to this talk again when you need a reminder of what you can do to make the world better - just one person, doing whatever it is that you love to do best, finding satisfaction in the doing, not just the result (like Mitch in Payback Time).
Listen well - Make good art, in whatever manner your talent for increasing the world's happiness leads you.
Whether you're a new graduate or older and worldly-wise, remember that every sunrise brings you a new chance to begin to make good art.
**kmm
