Did you ever feel the weight of the world on your shoulders? When I painted The Burden of the Responsible Man, I felt overwhelmed by how much everybody expected from me. I felt as if life was taking everything I had and not giving much back, just dangling a carrot to keep me going. Even this man's pet, a hedgehog, needs to be fed and taken for walks, but is too prickly to offer warm "cuddlies" in return. But the man’s a responsible person and so he just keeps plodding along. That's the point. I just kept plodding along, too, and things got better. I discovered that my burdens were really blessings and challenges necessary for my growth. - JCC