"Never badmouth synergy!"

One of my favorite teachers at Brigham Young University, illustrator Robert Barrett said something quite profound once during a class, 


"Those who really live life leave the stuff that is art."


I remember that it hit a real note with me and I have always kept that quote in mind when deciding how to use my time. Cicero had quite the critique from Petrarch. But I think the things that were said were very interesting coming from a humanist. I would like to think that latter-day saints strive to be humanists. I mean who doesn't want progression and education in Zion? But to be successful in being a humanist, well, it doesn't have so much to do with sheer hard work as much as it has to do with the basic ability we have develop to balance our lifes--and maybe "synergize" (Jack Donaghy would be so proud--30 rock fans please stand up?) those two different parts of our lives together to set examples for others.


In the illustration world, there is the well-revered Norman Rockwell, of whom I'm sure most non-art majors have heard of in their american history classes or something. This guy was ridiculously talented. His work had humor, charm, depth, technical mastery. I just saw an art exhibit with a bunch of his work in D.C. sponsored by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and these paintings are absolutely beautiful in person.

"School Teacher" - One of the lovely heart-warming pieces I saw in D.C.

His personal life? Well according to The Berkshire Eagle's "Portrait of Norman Rockwell",  
"Married three times, he was a caring but distant husband and father who spent years in therapy dealing with loneliness and depression....[He] painted happiness, but didn't live it."


A link to the article: A portait of Norman Rockwell


Would Rockwell have been as great as he was had he taken more family time to develop those domestic relationships?


The question is--does there have to be a real strain on our personal life in order for us to change the world? I don't believe so. Can we use technology such as youtube and blogs to make it easier for us to reach "the world" and still maintain a good family life?
To me, it rings true that the two can and should be balanced for us to become someone who really makes  a solid impact on the world and on the people in our lives. (Technology or not)

"What, pray, does it profit a man to teach others, and to be prating always about virtue, in high-sounding words, if he fails to give heed to his own instructions?" -Petrarch

I really hope no one writes a posthumous letter like that to me.