Art of giving: From the inner desire to give, inspiring works are created

Artists speak of the unquenchable desire to create.

When inspiration hits, there is little the creative spirit can do to quell the fire inside until the piece -- regardless of the medium -- is crafted, retooled and reworked and the piece de resistance (the signature) is applied.

The same must be said of the philanthropic. The desire to give must burn a hole in the proverbial pocket of the spirit of the kind-hearted.

Why else would the ladies inside the office of the Wayne County Clerk of Court spend weeks cultivating their idea which came to fruition Monday?

Julie Whitfield and Shiril Jackson, spurred on by the donations they received from their co-workers, family and friends, tied scarves to the many trees and light poles that line the four blocks that surround the Wayne County courthouse. Despite the early hour and the frigid temperatures, the ladies then tied to each scarf a note that indicated these articles were not lost or haphazardly disposed of -- they were a gift.

Each scarf was intended for a body, that of a homeless person, someone with meager means, or perhaps just a forgetful soul who left his or her scarf on the coat rack beside their front door as they hustled out of their home that morning and were paying the icy price.

It was, quite basically, an unquenchable desire to give that warmed the hearts of both the recipients of the gifts and all who heard later about the endeavor.

And, in our view, that also makes it art. These ladies -- and all who contributed to their cause -- helped bring into existence something from a place where before there had been nothing. Their creation was beautiful, colorful, moving and inspiring, and we hope not to have seen the last of their work.

Published in Editorials on December 11, 2017 7:40 PM