Article November 5, 2007 Issue

No talents wasted

BY ZELIA JOHNSEN

Recently, I thought of all the ways God has truly provided everything I've ever needed in my life. I saw that, even when our heart's desires seem unfulfilled, God never lets our talents go to waste. For me, it was a desire to pursue the arts.

From the time I was a small child growing up in California in the 1920s and '30s, I loved to draw flowers, bunnies, my cat—even the mountains and Eucalyptus trees that cast interesting shadows as I watched from my treehouse. Making up stories was another love of mine, and the neighborhood kids would come to hear me tell them from the treehouse. Later, I wrote articles and drew cartoons for my high school newspaper.

I loved art and writing so much that I began to study creative arts at a junior college, although women at that time weren't encouraged to have a career in the arts.