Perfection

I spent this morning at an art fair in Montparnasse. More than 100 artists had their creativity on display- an incredible pool of personalities, colors and talent. There were painters , sculptors, jewelry designers and still others I could not begin to define, but they all had a passion for perfection that impressed me.

It occurred to me that while we can`t all be artists, there is something to be learned from their quest to perfect. The French as a whole seem to have learned it quite well, in fact. As the saying goes, what they do, they do well.

For example, anyone who has been to France will acknowledge that the French have nearly perfected the art of making bread. One of the most famous of the French bakeries is Poilane which first opened its doors in 1932. It is now the baker`s granddaughter who is CEO and even though she is only 19, she continues to perfect her family`s techniques, while staying true to the traditional recipes.

Then, of course, there are the pursuits of wine, chcolate, cheese and fashion (what a wonderful country it is!). The connossieurs of each of these trades should rightly be called artists for they have truly transformed their professions into an art.

And as the world well knows (thanks to the youth riots this past Spring) the French choose not only a profession, but a job for life. Perhaps it stands to reason, then, that if you know you will be doing the same thing for the next 30 years, your focus must be on perfecting it (whereas Americans, by comparison, seems more focused on mastering a job before moving on to the next).

There is, of course, no wrong or right, but I am profoundly grateful that both systems exist in this world. This way, I can continue in my American, multitasking ways while enjoying an absolutely perfect , warm chocolate croissant. To me, that really is perfection.