Vincent van Gogh and the Importance of Having Someone in Your Corner

The Man Behind the Brush

He is widely considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt. In just under 9 years he produced some 800 works of art. And in 2015, his painting L'Allée des Alyscamps sold for $66 million. 

But the man the world would come to know as Van Gogh was shunned from society for most of his life. He struggled with mental illness, had a strained relationship with his parents, and would die of a self-inflicted gun wound at the age of 37. 

What makes his story so remarkable was his ability to find ways to re-invent himself. He was absolutely determined to be of value to the world even if it didn't align with the vision others had for him.

Van Gogh's father was the son of a minister. And in 1877, the family sent Van Gogh to stay with a man named Johannes Stricker, a well-known theologian living in Amsterdam.

Van Gogh's goal was to attend the University of Amsterdam and study theology but he failed the exam and left Amsterdam just a year later.

He then failed yet another course at a Protestant missionary school situated just outside Brussels. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Life looked quite bleak for Van Gogh. He'd exhausted the patience of his austere father, whom he often quarreled with. He had no promising prospects for work and perhaps more discouraging, no one seemed to be in his corner.

Except for one man.

Theo van Gogh

The special bond between Vincent and his brother Theo is well-documented. Theo is often credited with nudging Vincent to become an artist in the first place.

Not everyone is going to get what you're trying to do and that's okay.

The two wrote each other regularly and even lived together briefly in Paris. Their correspondence to one another is open, honest, and profoundly heartfelt. Vincent once wrote Theo saying:

"I don't really have any friends except for you, and when I'm ill you're always in my thoughts."

The relationship between the two is not only inspiring but a reminder you don't need droves of people to support your aspirations. No matter what you do there will never be universal consensus it's an endeavor worth pursuing. 

Not everyone is going to get what you're trying to do and that's okay.

It's not your job to be a molder of consensus or a seeker of validation but rather your responsibility to share you unique gifts with those who need them most.

But we all need someone in our corner. Once you find that person honor the relationship while being of value to them as well.

All you need is one.