The Latest Good Quote
Through the ages, many people from all walks of life have had unique perspectives on life and living. Their wisdom is timeless and the quotes attributed to them are powerful and positive reminders of what can, should and must be.
Here, I present quotes I believe are especially relevant to the journalism profession, offer my take on how I believe it applies to us and include a note about the author.
So here goes:
Posted: February 15, 2010
"If you want a chicken, you got to get the chicken.” -- Elliott Hubbard ( 1966- )
My Take:
I recently met Hubbard in Florida minutes after he had opened his booth at the annual Art Fest in Fort Myers, an event for which only 200 of 800 applicants are accepted.
The crowd had begun to build when I walked by and saw his exhibit of some truly colorful clay pieces some of which were priced into the four figure range. He enthusiastically stuck out his hand and with a big smile invited me to have a closer look.
I didn't stay but a minute. Yet, in that short time I identified him as being not only a fine artist but also an exciting man. When I asked him about his talent, he said he had a strong urge inside him to create when he was eight years old. Not long afterward, he knew art would be the passion he would pursue.
I commented that sometimes passion rather than education is what drives a person forward. That's when he threw back his shoulders and said directly and convincingly, "If you want a chicken, you got to get the chicken."
I thanked him, took another look at his works and left.
Later, I thought seriously about what he had said and tried to remember the last time I had witnessed such enthusiasm in ag journalism's ranks.
Perhaps that's being a bit unfair. Yet, you would be wise to take note: Hubbard is an entity unto himself, a free spirit whose profession rises in direct proportion to his investment in it, a happily intense man who openly and proudly says the word "restrictions" isn't included in his vocabulary.
There's no stopping to those who have those qualities. Nor is fear, uncertainty or indecision ever likely to override the confidence they have in themselves and their profession.
They want that chicken and they're getting it.
About Hubbard:
He along with 11 brothers and sisters grew up in the small rural community of Blakely, Georgia. His father was a carpenter. His mother is a homemaker who enjoys painting in her spare time.
Inspired by his mother to follow his talent, Hubbard was in the 6th grade when he received his first art award, a summer scholarship to the Fine Art Gallery in Albany, Georgia, where he worked with clay.
Later, he worked with watercolors, pencil, pastels, acrylics and oils but eventually returned to clay as his medium. He spends many hours hand building and creating original clay sculpture to which he sometimes adds metal or wood.
In the meantime, he has refined his glazing and firing techniques. And he has discovered new ways to express emotion and thought in his works that stimulate conversation.
Hubbard has won 21 awards and participated in 36 group exhibitions. His work hangs in 6 collections plus homes throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries. He and his family live in Fairburn, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.
Says Hubbard, "I love art because it gives me the opportunity to share a part of my heart, to enlighten and enrich others. When creating, there are no boundaries."
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