Beauty. What is it?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending an hour with artist John Del Monte, 99, in his studio. Not only a pleasure, but a privilege to have the opportunity to spend that much time in conversation with such a talented man, surrounded by many dozens of his creations. Mr. Del Monte, the founder and director of Creative Arts Studies in Lucca, Italy, has studied and taught in Europe and the States.

What did we talk about? Beauty. That’s it. One word: beauty. What is it? Has the world forgotten beauty? Do we talk about it anymore? Look for it? Appreciate it?

I was there to interview him for a magazine so I won’t get into too much detail here, but one item I will share …

Mr. Del Monte, who will turn 100 in October, offers no “secret” to longevity but I can quote his “secret” to happiness: “Don’t take; but give of yourself. You’ll be surprised at the returns.”

Now, that’s beautiful.