One can begin and continue with serenity

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 3-5 December 1882

You have received my letter in which I wrote you how the idea of making figures from the people for the people developed of its own accord while I was working. . . .

Since I wrote you this I have been thinking - not, of course, Who will do this or that? - but, What am I doing toward it? . . .

What I wanted to say is this. The idea of drawing types of workmen from the people for the people, distributing them in a popular edition and taking the whole as a matter of duty and public service - that and nothing but that - look here, that idea is enough to convince me that even if it didn't succeed at once, one might suppose, "The thing is as true today as it was yesterday, and it will be as true tomorrow."

And so it is a thing which one can begin and continue with serenity, a thing the good success of which one need not doubt or despair of - if only one doesn't relax or lose courage.

Letter 251
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
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