So for those of you I didn't already spazz to, and for those who don't follow me on dA, I sent Mr. James Arnold Taylor (the voice of Obi-Wan on the Clone Wars series) an email back in November, thanking him for an amazing show (see my Star Wars Weekends post on dA http://foxsword.deviantart.com/journal/An-Account-from-the-Field-Star-Wars-Weekends-218530594 ) and for inspiring me. He sent me an email back in late December. An impossibly long, very thought-out email, that had everything from encouraging Bible passages to practical tips on how to keep my voice healthy.
More recently, I recorded a reading of Neil Gaiman's poem "Virus," for my youtube channel. here it is, and *insert shameless plug here* check out the other poems I've recorded - while they're often not well-known, they're all worth reading/listening to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X226Dp0jdfg At the suggestion of a friend, I sent the link to Mr. Gaiman, who responded within the day, with just a few words: "Well read!" and a quick note that I had somehow managed to cut off the last two lines when I uploaded the video (don't worry, the version I linked above is the fixed version).
So two different well-known people, two completely different responses. First off, I'd like to say that I love it when these people bother to reply at all - I know their schedules are busy, that they have many fans, and consequently that they don't have much time to chat. Hearing back from them is a reassurance that they are human, and kind humans at that. I appreciate the time they take to write a thoughtful response, rather than brushing us off like the paparazzi - Mr. Taylor was sweet enough to write an email that took up the entire computer screen and required scrolling besides, and Mr. Gaiman was willing to listen all the way through his poem being butchered by an American.
Secondly, I still undergo periodic bouts of hyper joy thanks to these guys. May I never be cured of it.
Thirdly and finally, when we all become famous artists, I hope we are all as gracious as this.