Part One: What the Linn Cove Viaduct Taught Me About Seeing

Some paintings begin with a photograph. Others begin with a memory.

As I recently stood at my easel painting the Linn Cove Viaduct for this year's Association Executives of North Carolina commemorative artwork, I realized I wasn't simply painting a mountain road. I was revisiting one of the places and one of the people that helped shape the way I see North Carolina.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of knowing Hugh Morton. Hugh had a remarkable gift for recognizing the extraordinary in ordinary places. His love for Grandfather Mountain inspired countless people, including me, to appreciate not only its beauty but also the responsibility of protecting it.

The Linn Cove Viaduct is a perfect example of that vision. Instead of blasting a highway through the rugged slopes of Grandfather Mountain, engineers designed an elevated bridge that gently wraps around the mountain. Built one section at a time from above, it preserved one of the Blue Ridge's most fragile ecosystems while creating what many consider one of America's most beautiful scenic drives.

As I worked on this painting, I realized the viaduct still has something to teach all of us. 

First, awareness helps us see value before everyone else does. Hugh Morton understood that Grandfather Mountain wasn't an obstacle to overcome it was a treasure worth preserving. Great opportunities often begin by recognizing what others overlook.

Second, awareness uncovers the story behind the scenery. I've learned that every memorable landscape has a story waiting to be discovered. Understanding the people, history, and purpose behind a place gives a painting meaning that goes far beyond the canvas.

Finally, awareness preserves what matters most. The Linn Cove Viaduct is remembered not simply because it was built, but because of what it protected. I believe great art and great leadership leave behind more than accomplishments. They leave behind something worth remembering.

As I completed this section of the painting, it struck me that the Linn Cove Viaduct had become more than one of North Carolina's iconic landmarks. It had become the perfect illustration of the first principle in a keynote I'll soon be sharing with the Association Executives of North Carolina: Awareness.

Over the next two weeks, I'd love for you to join me behind the easel as we explore two more North Carolina landmarks and the lessons they've quietly taught me over the years.

Until then, perhaps the greatest masterpieces begin long before the first brushstroke.