This video with and about Charles Schulz, done right towards the end of his career and life, is both moving and sobering.

What strikes me is the brief reference to the possibility that Schulz never fully felt like the talented artist he was. He was an amazing artist who diligently drew and wrote day in and day out for decades; many, many people loved his work and paid for it. And yet, perhaps, he never internalized his talent in such a way that he felt confident in his abilities.

That stands out to me because, at least in part, don’t we all feel that way? We’re just doing the best we can. And it seems to us a miracle that anyone would show up and find joy from the art we create. How often do an artist’s fans see something great, while the artist herself sees only a humble, meager offering which is not all that special?

“I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress.” — Jane Austen

At Circles Conference 2012, Joshua Blankenship’s session, titled “You Know Magic, So Stop Being Such a Terrible Wizard”, touched on this issue. The audio from his session is available here, and if this stuff interests you at all then I highly recommend you give it a listen.

“Dear Friends”