Today, I cried.

Shakespeare once said that to weep is, “to make less the depth of grief.” But my tears were not of grief. Instead, they were the oft familiar yet mysterious response to art—in this case, music.

I describe it as “familiar,” because I am confident that no matter who you are, chances are that you, too, have been moved to tears at some point in your life by a work of art.

For some, it comes from a composition of lyric and melody, and a connection with an artist whose voice resonates inside of you. For some, it comes from an emotional performance that brings you insights into our nature, or perhaps a sculpture that seems to “live.” And for yet others, it comes from a combination of oils on canvas, arranged in such a way that quite literally speaks to our soul.

Whichever form of art speaks to you, I’m confident that Poe was right when he said that beauty “excites the sensitive soul to tears.”

It is with that in mind that I want to remind you of something (no matter who you are):

You are an artist.

You are engaged, on a daily basis, in the practice of transforming people’s homes.

You are an artist.

You are responsible for the trust that your clients have placed in you, to improve their inner sanctum.

You are an artist.

You have the ability to help your clients to transcend their current surroundings, dream of new living spaces, and to realize those dreams—and to be moved to tears.

You are an artist.

This is something that you must remember. You are an artist.

You are not just a contractor. You are not just a remodeler. You are an artist.

And once you make that realization—once you make the decision and once that feeling fills you with pride—then every job is an opportunity.

Every job is an opportunity not just to improve the homes of your clients, but quite literally to touch their lives. When you treat each and every project as an opportunity to serve in this way, then you yourself can be brought to tears—through art. Your art.

The art of the remodel.