A good dose of humility does you good!

I consider myself a fairly gregarious person who has led a rich life, in terms of experience, personal and professional, and travel. Through this I have met many interesting, talented and generous (in terms of their time and skills) people and learnt more about myself each day.

At the weekend I went to a charity music festival (ArcFest) in Hitchen, Hertfordshire. Cutting a long story short, the boyfriend of my oldest niece, Josh Kershaw, had agreed to perform there. As my niece was already committed on the day he was going to have to make a tortuous rail journey with two guitars. Instead my wife, her sister (my niece's mother) and I drove him over there. And stayed to watch him play.

He had invited us to previous events, but we had not been able to go so we had no real expectations. As it was he was very good. He provided two acoustic interludes between the afternoon sets. These were songs he had written himself when he was part of a band that seems to have been based in Hitchen. The band, called Royston Jones, has split up and he now performs for his own pleasure as he perues a career in video editting.

If anyone is interested I will provide some links to the band's Myspace site and also a  rough recording I made at this festival, below. I think a couple of his songs are as good as many successful recordings; check "Good Days" and "Waste of Time".

The Royston Jones MySpace page    and    At ArcFest March 2012

On the way home we talked about his time with the band and music in general. I was more and more impressed as I learnt more about him. It sounds corny, but my respect grew as my appreciation of his skills grew.

As a rational, scientifically trained and analytical person, I have always seen my creative and artistic side as the weakest of my skills. I have explored more of them in recent years, probably made easier as the fear of failure reduces with my age. I understand and appreciate those who can make a living through their art, having reached a level of creativity and/or performance that sets them above the norm. What humbles me though are people who just have a level of artistic skill as well as or on top of their normal life.

There are others in this pool and the number increase every day.

My daugher won't take piano lessons, but can and does just sit at a keyboard and works out how to play some complicated pieces that she has just heard. We are now glad that we bought her a decent electronic piano for her birthday two years ago,

Another friend, Doug Shaw, who is building a business around client and staff engagement, bringing some novel approaches, plays a mean guitar and now seems to paint water colours well.

The point of this piece was not to list lots of talented people, but rather to reflect the thought I had about feeling humbled by these individuals and their skills and how it lifts me even if I cannot match them. It is good to feel humble from time to time. It increases the understanding and respect one has for others which must be a good thing. It can also remind one of the need to keep striving and indeed inspire one to try.

I have a totally disproportionate pride in a paltry attempt at water colour painting (see "Armed and Dangerous") but it is what it is and the lift it gives is invaluable.