Undying Passion: An Insight into Don Hershman’s Life
The voice prompts our heart in addition to instilling an energy that disrupts the sleep.
We all come across circumstances where after every few years our passion surfaces while speaking to our heart in an authoritative tone, fueling the dominancy along with a spark of motivation that it gets impossible to disregard. The voice prompts our heart in addition to instilling an energy that disrupts the sleep.
“True passion never dies, it simply lies asleep in the burrows of the heart, waiting to be reawakened.”
-Donamaria
All our mind can think about is passion – clouded with the thoughts of how it can be achieved. However, gradually, after a few months of constant battle within, that voice begins to fade – eventually submerging with the usual responsibilities – while completely losing its spark.
Whereas some individuals who value the energy chained with their passion, defeat the other external factors, constantly convincing themselves to follow the path of passion. It certainly demands courage to walk on a path that has several challenges and obstacles to reach the final destination.
Reflecting on that, Don Hershman, a remarkable personality, seamlessly navigates the realms of both podiatric surgery and fine art painting – demonstrating abilities in disparate fields. His unwavering dedication has propelled him to secure a significant role in the medical world while simultaneously nurturing his creative spirit on canvas.
He, nonetheless, always manifested to pursue his dream of creating sketchbooks, and painting aesthetically beautiful paintings without the boundaries of restrictions – as for him art is unquestionably the purest element coursing happiness in the veins. Contrastingly, when opting for a career, he decided to walk on the path of secure option, that establishes the foundation of safety and pursued medicine.
In 1976, he accomplished BA Pre-medical in Bioscience/Psychology in the fields of Bioscience and Psychology. Following that, he graduated cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His academic achievements continued as in 1980, he attained a UCSF - Doctor of Podiatric Medicine D.P.M. from California College of Podiatric Medicine. After three years, in 1983, he earned his surgical residency from Westchester General Hospital, specializing in Foot and Ankle.
Dedicatedly learning and serving during the residency training in the medical field for nearly a decade, in 1992, he was delegated with the responsibilities of a board member and fellow of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Thus, being a member of the prestigious group of teachers the following institutions marked an initial stepping stone in progressing toward achieving a valuable position in the podiatric field.
Passion and love flowed like an unending river through the very core of Hershman’s body. This came as no surprise, considering he was born in the heart of New York City, Brooklyn – a city where the art of buildings embraces the horizon, and where the art is woven into a fabric. Growing up in a vibrant and eclectic artistic city, it was almost inevitable for his soul to be deeply touched by the creativity that surrounded him. The bustling energy, diverse cultures, and ever-evolving artistic landscape of the city contributed to mold his personality.
While pursuing his medical career, he also proactively participated in art exhibitions and gatherings to meet new people from the subsequent industry. That’s how he continued to persistently establish relationships with them.
Realizing that the artist cannot embrace the progress curve when working in isolation, he hosted a party at his home to showcase his artwork which reflected his skills, vision, and perception of the world. Thereafter, he was invited by a guest, who was a curator at Spectrum Gallery to participate in the group show and present his work to a larger audience.
In 2020, one of his pieces was selected by the jury for a group show organized at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. In May 2021, during the peak pandemic, he managed to have a successful show, Under the Influence: Donald and Victor, at the Salomon Arts Gallery in New York – showcasing his painting dedicated to his former partner who in 2001 died due to an uncurable disease – encapsulating his emotions streaming through the river of sorrow, love, and care.