A vase. An apple. Flowers. Acrylic painting in progress. Across the room, the most gorgeous and popular boy in school — tall, blonde, athletic and artsy. A damn Norse god come to life. Me, a bespectacled nobody girl hovering under the clique radar. I was afraid to look at him, much less speak to him. In our third week of art class, as I struggled to capture shadows and light, another shadow fell on the canvas. Norse god said, “That’s really beautiful.” I knew it wasn’t, I knew I was no artist. Suddenly, I also knew kindness could make you fly.
Charlotte Hamrick lives in New Orleans with her husband and a menagerie of rescued pets. She is still in awe of kind artists. Find Charlotte on Twitter @charlotteham504 and on Instagram @starlightgrrl.