The Story of My Gratitude Pen
“Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?” - Clint Eastwood
Do you feel lucky to be a creator? I mean, do you ever stop to think about how lucky you are to do something you love that brings joy to others and rewards you at the same time?
Do you have a symbol - an object - that reminds you to be grateful?
I do. It’s a pen. But not an ordinary pen. It’s kind of special.
Here’s the story of how I got it:
I recently had the good fortune of parlaying my caricaturing skills into some free cruises. (Yeah, I’d hate me too if I weren’t the one cruising.)
The first cruise was to Bermuda. I drew for a couple hours a day on the ship, then hit the beaches and explored the island.
One day I visited an art gallery. After viewing the paintings, I was about to leave when I noticed a dark hallway in back. I figured I’d check it out.
At the end of the hall I saw a door opened just a crack. I peeked inside.
It was a room filled with hundreds of wooden sculptures. In the center of the room sat the sculptor himself - an old black man, tapping away at a block of wood.
He invited me in.
His name was Chesley. We chatted as I admired his work. He said he was a retired art teacher. He spent his days sculpting and volunteering at the island prison.
I told him I was an artist too, that I was drawing passengers on the cruise ship. When he heard this he stopped working and looked at me with a gleam in his eye.
“No kidding!” he said. Then he thought for a second. “Hey - see those pens over there on that counter?”
I noticed some beautiful wooden pens. “Yeah?”
“I carved those from Bermuda cedar. They’re worth $60 apiece. If I give you one will you draw me?”
“Absolutely!”
He dusted off a pad of paper, gave it to me, and posed while I drew him.
Then he said something that totally amazed me.
“Nobody’s ever drawn me before.”
I couldn’t believe it! He was at least 70, an artist and an art teacher his whole life, and the first person to ever draw his portrait was…me?
He swore it was true.
He loved my sketch, said his grandkids would love it too. He gave me the pen, shook my hand, and I left.
I still marvel at the bizarre twists of fate that led me to Chesley’s studio so that we could share our talents with one another. I used his pen at my very first book signing last summer, and use it on special occasions to remind myself what a lucky punk I am to create for a living!
Say, would you like to see Chesley in action? I found this video of him on YouTube, working in his studio…exactly the way I found him.
Do you have a Gratitude Pen? What object can you use to remind yourself to be grateful for your talent? Leave a comment!
Gratitude Pen? Oh yes indeed. 24 February 2005 was my 61st anny when I sat on a chair in front of computer #12, just beside John a American TOEFL English teacher in Jakarta. Suddenly John gave me a shinny white aluminum look pen with gold tip and clip. I guessed somebody must be left that pen when he left the cafe in hurry. While I wrote a post to my blog there, in waiting for my son and daughterinlaw’s coming. Then I made a note in a loss and found book and put the pen in a locked box. But nobody claims for more than a year. And then I gave the pen to my son as a welcoming for my granddaughter born on May 23, 2006. My daughterinlaw told me if that platinum Mont-blanc was an expensive pen, which may worth at least $1,500. So that might be my talent, made that pen as a welcoming pen for my granddaughter, Gaby.
Hi Mark, Bermuda was such lovely island. I have been there every Thursday for 6 month in 1976. Employed as a receptionist at purser office onboard s.s. Rotterdam of the Holland America Cruises.
Wow this is amazing!
@Aa-Eman - thank you for sharing your stories and welcome.
@Ash - glad you think so!
What a great post!…Inspirational in itself.
Thank you for sharing it…
Thanks Liz!
What an inspiring post on gratitude. Enjoyed your personal story and the video on Chesley.
I have a small rock I picked up on a hike in the woods one time that has an energy that resonates with me. At work sometimes I take it out of my coat pocket and hold it. It helps me to feel present and thankful in that moment for my life and what I’m doing.
Lovely thoughts.
Pat - thanks for sharing and I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
Very nice write. Brought tears to my eyes. When I graduated my aunt made me a bunch of “Dr. Nicole Sundene” pens, which I promptly gave away to all my friends and family and kept one for myself. I lost it for a long time and recently found it after looking frantically everywhere…I won’t lose it again.
How funny…I have a gratitude pen too! One my grandfather gave to me when I graduated college. At the time, I was a bit of a brat and thought that money would have been more helpful. My mom said he gave the same thing to her when she graduated. Anyway, my grandfather and I became very close over the years and he passed away last summer. Since then, I found the pen in a box of old stuff from college and I’m so happy to have it now. Everytime I write with it, I’m reminded of him and also of this: if he’d given me money, I would have spent it and it would’ve been long gone. Today, I have a pen that whenever I use it, I’m reminded of how I’ve grown in my thoughts over the years…and also of the great man I came to know in my adult years.
@Dr. Nicole - I’m glad you found the pen!
@Shannon - Hey stranger. Welcome! What a nice story. Thanks for that.
Lovely story! Oh YES! You are truly blessed as well as appreciative. Good for you. I too am grateful for all my creativity. I could not play piano had I not started dreaming music. I could not write had I not all of a sudden been compelled to write. I could not photograph had I not suddenly started to see the world in a new way. Oh yes! I am so grateful. My life would shrivel up and blow away without all the gifts of creativity that I’ve been given. And I am blessed to have people in my life who foster my creativity and are also creative. Those are HUGE blessing. My life is one big creation.
Dear Mark:
I found your website through a comment you made on Jason Van Orden’s blog.
I love your story of the Gratitude Pen! I visited and watched Chesley’s video as well. I am in awe of you both.
I too am an artist — a digital artist. I came upon my skills late in life and am still mystified by them.
I learned how to be grateful while working through my very first Anthony Robbins program - Get The Edge. It was an eye opener and I was never the same since then, and much happier.
I am going to give your idea of a “gratitude item” some thought. I would like to have something specific/tangible that I can associate with gratitude. When I think of Anthony Robbins there is much gratitude, but I can’t hold him in my hand or look at him at whim!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Roz Fruchtman
Say It With eCards
Roz - welcome to the cafe, and thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad this post inspired you! Tony Robbins rocks! I’m sure you’ll find a gratitude item soon enough. Congrats on finding your newfound creative skills, that’s exciting! Visit again soon.