“When I Grow Up … I Want to Be a Stained-Glass Artist,” Friend, Jul. 2015, 28
When I Grow Up …
I Want to Be a Stained-Glass Artist
My name is Tom Holdman, and I’m a stained-glass artist.
When did you learn to make stained glass?
In high school. After my mission I wasn’t accepted to a university, so I studied on my own. I read lots of books. I visited Europe to study the stained-glass windows of famous cathedrals. I stared at one window in Czechoslovakia for an hour! It was inspiring. I promised myself that someday I would try to make a window that beautiful. Now I get to make stained-glass windows for temples around the world.
How do you get your inspiration?
I fill my mind with great art and music. When I was making stained glass for the Winter Quarters Temple, I listened to the hymn “Come, Come, Ye Saints.” Nature also inspires me. When I look up at the rustling leaves of my apricot tree, I get many great ideas!
What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an artist?
Just get some paper and draw! Don’t be afraid that it won’t look good. I have a motto: there’s always more paper! If one picture doesn’t turn out, get more paper.
How does your job help you share the gospel?
I was born with a speech impediment, which means I stutter. When I was a child, I was often treated unkindly. But it actually blessed me because I had to find other ways to express myself. Through my art, people can feel my love for the Savior.