When someone dies what does he leave behind?
Peter Williams (48), ST’s art editor, left behind many who are impressed by his work and life. I read it this morning and found a man’s legacy to be something he will be remembered for, for a long time to come.
“Peter was a world-class designer. He left an indelible mark on this newspaper. From its current masthead, the fonts and colours we use, he had a hand in it all.” That was the words of editor-in-chief Warren Fernandez.
Another assoc editor Rahul Pathak said: “Peter was a genius in his field. When I moved to My Paper as editor, we faced a situation where we had to make do with fewer employees. He single-handedly redesigned the paper such that its pages could be drawn quickly and efficiently, using fewer sub-editors. It took him just 15 days and the design was beautiful in its simplicity.”
How about another editor? Here comes a memorable toast from Lim Chuan Huat.
”Peter had a deep interest in and keen eye for typography and colour. He was meticulous with details and the hardest-working person around, especially when he was working on the technical specifications. He was also that critical bridge between the IT systems people and the designers.”
Lesson? Two, attitude (or character) and passion. When you marry the two, you get people like Peter. But, don’t expect the marriage to be smooth sailing though. Frictions are bound to happen, especially when tides and wind direction change for the worse. But when the wave rises, people like Peter rides on it, instead of being overwhelmed by it.
Peter also had keen interest and an eye for his art. That had to be cultivated, diligently nurtured. That was passion personified. From him, I learnt this: For imagination to have roots you must apply it. For passion to bear fruits, you have to nurture it. And never underestimate an anonymous seed planted in good soil. It is the making of a harvest when its season finally comes, and it will come.
Lim said Peter was the “hardest-working person around,” and that speaks not of just talent consciously honed, but an attitude of never-say-die - a work-horse mindset, a sea-biscuit-type-of-overcomer.
Warran added: “He would work patiently and painstakingly to think through the designs and refine the options, often presenting me with multiple versions to choose from, each ever so subtly different. For him, it was a labour of love.”
Alas, labour of love. How many of us can say in our current work? The oxymoronic enthusiasm for positive outcomes that impact one’s work and influence another’s life. (Oxymoronic because many dreamers still think we fall into love, just like that, and everything will take care of itself thereafter, no efforts needed, or at all. Find the right job, and everything just click. Find the right spouse and the marital bed will magically make itself).
Imagine that, a labour of sweat, sleepless nights even, going through what many will never see or experience, that is, the long hours, the self-reproaches, and groping in the darkness of one’s lonely creative tunnel, with nothing to go on (on some days) except a nagging voice deep inside that whispers to you that you have what it takes, you can do this, don’t lose faith, and never give up.
That’s labour of love, the sweat of passion, the brokenness of determination, the pain of joyful completion, and the stumbles that lead to one’s celebration.
True, nothing is free in this world, except the freedom to choose the path before us. That is a choice away. Yes, count the cost. Do your maths. Map the road ahead. But, the freedom to choose in that pathway is yours to make. It is a costless advancement that is priceless when one completes the good race of passion with the right attitude.
Here is one thing about Peter that is inspiring to know though. He was a culture-builder.
Tamil Murali editor Rajendran Jawharilal said that Peter “took on the task of redesigning the Tamil-language paper in 2008 even though he did not understand the words of the language.
Rajendran said: “But being the pro that he was, he learnt as he went along and patiently worked with us during the many sessions we had with him.”
“We brought him vadai (fried fritters) and he brought us doughnuts. It was more than a job for Peter. It was about understanding cultures and making friends. He was such a wonderful soul and we will always be grateful to him.”
Oh yes, gratitude comes after the sacrifice. Make no mistake about the order in which they appear. Nothing empowers reciprocity more than when one’s heart is deeply touched by another’s labour of love, both unconditional and exceptional.
And Peter was no slacker. He became a pro by being pro-active, socially attuned to the people, culture and tradition around him. Most times, it takes more than skills and imagination to thrive and impact; it also takes one to be a peace-maker and bridge-builder to connect and contribute.
Let me end with the words of the editor-in-chief.
“Peter was someone you knew you could rely on. I valued his integrity and trusted his judgment. Whenever I asked him to work on something, his stock reply was simply to say, “Warren, I will do my best.” He always did. I was never disappointed. He is a great loss to all of us.”
Within his social and artistic circle of influence, Peter will be dearly missed. As I have written, the lesson here is twofold: attitude (character) and passion.
It will no doubt take time to hone them - expect disappointments and stumbles. Yet, it is a marriage driven by the love of what one does, and it doesn’t stop there. It goes further, much further, to make a difference in wherever people like Peter is placed.
For this reason, there is a Peter (as a manner of speaking) in everyone of us, the rock that contributes passionately to our community, and in doing so, to our own flourishing.
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