The Good King

In the Christmas season I want to do something fun this year and consider 3 kings as their examples pertain to the upcoming holiday in light of creativity. 

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing 

from Good King Wenceslas

For a creative person giving is a necessity. 

We give even as the world sees our art. We give by nature, because art hidden is not art at all.

One song has impressed upon me the spirit of giving which is famous during the Christmas season and highly valued in the Christian faith. The song is Good King Wenceslas by the English hymn writer, John Mason Neal. 

Like St. Nicolas (Santa Claus), Wenceslas was a real man. 

Wenceslas lived in 10th century Bohemia and was a duke. He was sainted because he was martyred for his Christian faith. 

Beyond his martyrdom, his charity to the poor and orphans is legendary. That is why he was memorialized in the song above. 

  

The legends may well precede the real man, but the essence of the message of  Wenceslas's life was his giving nature after the heart of Jesus. 

Wenceslas's legacy was that of serving the poor and needy.

For any person who wishes to live a good life, giving to those in need is a great quality to have. A giving life is also a creative life. 

Consider that a practice of giving helps your creativity in these ways:

• Refusing to hold on to something that you cannot control increases your tolerance for risk, making art easier to create
• Answering a need is like responding to problems in your work of art: They will always come unexpectedly 
• Like giving to those in need, creating art is always an investment of time, money, and/or resources 
• You will always have more opportunities to serve people more and to do more art
• When you give you rarely know who it will affect like art that you create

Wenceslas was considered good by men because of the love in his heart to serve those who were truly in need. If you are given the chance to show someone this act of kindness consider that it will lead you to be a better person, a better artist, and loved by many.