Gratitude – Day 98 – Joyce DiDonato

I’m grateful for the wonder that is the Midwest. Many people ask me what it is about the Midwest that I like – and this is the most concrete example of what I find so spectacular about it: skies that expand forever, constantly shifting and morphing just to keep you guessing. My favorite time of year is the spring in Kansas City, (except when it’s fall, and then that’s my favorite time of year!) because of these awe-inducing thunderstorms that roll in and mark their territory. They are such a sight to behold.

Today I was especially grateful for them, because the celestial show gave me a MUCH needed break from cadenza-land of Handel. (I keep changing the cadenzas I want, which means reworking many of the passages and never ever being finished with how I want the arias to go – I am living in a constant state of flux with these pieces!!!!) So, the sideshow was most welcome – especially when I reverted to my youth and tried to pick out images in the clouds. Look what I found:

Creepy, no? But I’m still grateful!

Gratitude - Day 98

As an artist, you will never arrive at a fixed destination. THIS is the glory and the reward of striving to master your craft and embarking on the path of curiosity and imagination, while being tireless in your pursuit of something greater than yourself.