I am a painting contractor in the Chicago area and one of the gifts I get to exercise in my life is writing. In the last several years, I have written about twenty articles in the field of management, craftsmanship and field operations. In the last two years, I have also written nearly one hundred, 300-word blog posts on topics largely related to house painting and paint restoration.

Opening the Door to Writing

I did not always write. Like many people, I wrote when I had to, but I did not feel particularly drawn to writing. However, about seven years ago, something shifted in me about writing. I came across this small notebook, with all white pages. On the cover was a panel door with an ornate fluted casing and a door handle. The door was made of carefully assembled wood pieces and glued onto a wood book cover. I remember being mesmerized by that notebook and felt compelled to buy it and mount it on the inspiration wall, in my office. I remember telling a friend, at the time, that this book was an inspiration for me to open the door to writing, in my life.

At the time, I could not see how I could make time for writing. However, it did not take more than a year before I began to write. Writing is now an ongoing part of what I do and I find it enormously satisfying. To me, writing is very much like painting a canvas. At first, there is just a blank space and an idea or vision that only lives in my mind at the moment. As words are added to the paper, a picture begins to emerge, that makes real what was only an idea a moment ago. Those words, when artfully put together, have the power to inspire, empower and create a permanent change in the reader’s perception of life and its possibilities. Writing is painting with words!

This week, I was reminded of the power of vision to inspire others to carry on, even when the leader is no longer there to stoke the flames. I wanted to share that insight into the power of a vision of service, by telling the story of The Christmas Schooner, a musical performed by TesserAct Theatre Ensemble at its Sponsors’ Gala evening on Monday, November 29th. As one of the sponsors, Painting in Partnership’s thirty guests helped usher in the Holiday Season in style. What a touching and inspiring performance!

Captain Peter on the Rouse Simmons

Having never seen the musical, I did not quite know what to expect. I knew that the play was based on the true story of a schooner named the Rouse Simmons that made the trek from upper Michigan to Chicago, in late Novembers, over 100 years ago, in order to bring Christmas trees to the area population. It became known as the Christmas Schooner.

In the play, the captain of the Rouse Simmons, whose name is Peter, was inspired to ferry Christmas trees into Chicago by a letter that Martha had sent to his family complaining that folks in Chicago were deprived of the full enjoyment of Christmas by not having an adequate supply of evergreens. Being a good businessman, Peter knew that there was a profit opportunity in those trees. However, it was also clear that Peter was motivated by something beyond that: spreading the Christmas spirit to the folks in Chicago. After the first trip, he was hooked! He had seen firsthand the impact of his journey on the population and he enrolled his family in supporting the effort, in spite of the fact his wife was fearful of his sailing on lake Michigan at that time of year.
That support was to be put to test when, during the next year’s voyage, a violent storm sank the Rouse Simmons (in 1912) and Peter perished. Despite their grief and hurt, Peter’s wife and son decided that Peter’s legacy had to carry on, so they did and, for many more years (until 1920), a schooner would set anchor at the Clark street pier to deliver its precious cargo.

I have long been an advocate for the power of a vision of service. I believe that God sewed the seeds in each of us for a vision of how to make life better around us. When we choose to act on that vision, it causes others to join in and add momentum towards its ultimate fulfillment.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

In the past two years, most contractors have experienced the dire pressures of the worst economic downturn seen in several generations. This week, when I saw this picture, it inspired me to write a brief article on the challenge and the opportunity of living through such times.

As Chicago area house painting contractors, my company has not been spared from the bite of the recession. Our sales have shrunk by thirty percent and profits have fallen even more. We have had to reduce staff, cut overhead and reduce benefits in order to manage the bottom line. Sounds familiar? Moreover, recovery has not begun yet.

When I go through circumstances like these, I look for the silver lining. I ask myself: what is the opportunity in this scenario? The opportunity I saw in this recession is time; time I did not have before to do major developmental work in my company.

For instance, I saw in the recession a golden opportunity to create an optimized presence on the web for my company through the development of targeted content, blog, newsletter and videos, as well as gaining a foothold in the social media arena, with the help of two trusted professionals. I have been asked: “How can you afford to do all this during times like these?” My answer is: “I cannot afford not to.” I am happy to report that Painting in Partnership is now findable on the web in a myriad of new ways and that the web has contributed eighteen percent of our sales this year!

My fighting spirit tells me: “If I am going to go through times like these, I will do whatever I can for my company to emerge stronger on the other side.” What opportunity have you embraced for your company during the course of this recession?

Many years ago, a painting contractor colleague who was visiting me from the East Coast made a comment after seeing my office: “You are deep” he said. I think that what he meant was that when I look at something, I seem to naturally uncover deeper meanings and connections. Sometime, without realizing it consciously, I begin to put things together and the meaning is later revealed. Read on for a vivid example: a montage of stones and wood with, indeed, a deeper meaning.

Stone and Wood Montage

Once in a while, I go to my favorite lumbar yard. It carries a wide array of the most awesome exotic woods in the Chicago area. On a visit, several months ago, I stumbled upon a piece of figured, burled walnut. In my eyes, the obvious defects of this piece of wood added to its beauty. I had to buy it!

A few months later, I had the opportunity to visit Taliesin West outside of Phoenix, the former working studio of one of my heroes, Frank Lloyd Wright. Walking around in the fields surrounding the property, I came across four stones. Two of those stones had triangular shapes, which attracted me because of the triangle theme at Taliesin West. The fourth stone was totally black and was perfectly smooth. This was indeed a one-of-a-kind stone in this arid landscape!

The final element of my montage was given to me many years ago by a carpenter. He had cut red hearts out of a plastic material for a class he was teaching. For some reason, I hung on to this heart. I placed it next to my montage. One day, in passing, my wife suggested inserting the heart in the upper cavity of the wood block. I said OK.

What first attracted me to that piece of wood were the natural wounds inflicted upon this tree. Somehow, those same wounds added unique character and beauty to the wood piece. One day, my I.T. person was over to work on my desktop. Having told him about my montage, he said: “There is a man and a women kissing!” Can you see the two profiles in the wood grain? Then, the full meaning of my montage was revealed.

How can I find a deeper meaning in this assembly of stone and wood? Well, here it is! Man and woman are attracted to one another. With love (the heart) and a strong dose of God’s help (triangles), the wounds inflicted by life that challenge relationship can be overcome and help produce true and beautiful relationship. To stay in balance (black stone) is not easy. Sometime, when things get “rocky”, one loses balance and falls to the ground. With God’s help and the help of others, balance is regained anew, until the next fall. True relationship is God’s intent for all of us.

As a person and as a painting contractor, depth is a quality I bring to my conversations with clients, employees and how I view situations and opportunities in the painting industry.

I recently took a vacation from my painting contractor business and made an 8-day trip to San Francisco and Northern California with my family. It was a delightful trip, filled with wondrous nature moments and City sites as well.

Stones from Mendocino, California

Upon my return, I had an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of “vacation”. I shared with my Office Manager that I spent two hours looking for stones on a coastal beach in Mendocino. She said: “You did what? You must have had a lot of time on your hands!” She was right!

This section of beach was covered with course charcoal color sand – a most unusual sight! On the sand, or partially covered, laid countless stones that had been polished and rounded off by nature’s handy work. I was fascinated by them and started looking for stones, of different sizes, that could be stacked on top of one another to create a sort of “rocky montage”. I could not wait to get to my office to sort through my stones and create my montage! It is shown in the attached picture.

To me, vacation is about getting lost in what I love, without the constraint of time. As a painting craftsman, I love nature and its handy work. It is an endless source of delight and inspiration for me. The work of nature affirms that patient and steady work accomplishes great things! Those are qualities I strive to demonstrate every day in my painting contractor business.