feeling inspired

(top image Robert Genn/bottom image Sara Genn)

This morning while having coffee with a friend, she informed me that beloved local artist Robert Genn has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has, perhaps, a year to live.
He is busy going through all of his paintings, categorizing them into "destroy", "sign" and "keep."
I couldn't believe it when I heard he's destroying some of his works of art, but his reasoning is that he doesn't want any work circulating after his passing that is subpar by his standards.
I was so moved how his diagnosis is forcing his hand to reflect on his life's work and choose the pieces he wants to leave behind as his life's legacy.
What would you want as your legacy?

Aside from his accomplished work as a painter, a big part of Robert's legacy are the his mega-talented children.
His daughter Sara was one of my classmates in elementary school. When I first moved out to White Rock, I was blown away by her warm and welcoming spirit. She seemed like an old soul, wise beyond her years. Today I have learned that she is a successful artist by her own right, living in New York. Her artistry has also found her living in France, Spain and Italy. Her twin brother James writes and directs for television. Their older brother David is a member of the rock band 54-40 and previously spent six years as lead guitarist for the Matthew Good band. (He's also married to local news personality Tamara Taggart and they have three children together).
I was moved by the creativity that is so prevalent in the Genn family. Obviously their father's gift shaped their childhood. It's like when you see a professional athlete's child effortlessly step in where the parent left off in their career. There's a level of genius that seems to pass down throughout these families.
It really struck me today that I want to be inspiring for my daughter. I want to do something big with the years I have left on this planet. Our time here is fleeting. Let's tap into our biggest potential and leave a legacy of inspiration. If someone were to write a biography of your life, wouldn't you want it to be a page turner?
Dream big.  Be kind to one another. Create your own amazing adventure.
xoxo