Five-year-old Willard Wigan couldn't tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9 because of dyslexia, a learning disability. Usually, his mind drifted — to playing outside, to his dog, or to the ants. Willard was especially curious about those ants. He felt like them, small and insignificant. He noticed the ants were coming and going from a hole in the dirt. Gathering pieces of wood, Willard constructed a little building for ants.
At school, Willard still had problems, but he knew he could do something special. Willard created tiny furniture for the ant houses. His artistic skill increased, and a love for little things began to grow. At age nine, Willard began carving (雕刻) faces on toothpicks. When he showed his mother the carved faces, she said, "This is what you do well. You must work hard to be the best." Years later, Willard carves the tiniest artwork in the world! His sculptures are so small that several can fit on a full stop at the end of a sentence.
Willard works best at night when there are few disturbances. He often works for months to complete a sculpture. Willard's favorite paintbrush is one hair from the back of a dead fly! To move his sculptures, Willard uses an eyelash. But even that can be tough. Once, while moving a microscopic Alice in Wonderland, his cell phone rang. Terrified, Willard took in a quick breath. When he looked back, Alice was gone. After working for weeks to carve her, he'd accidentally breathed her in!
Willard sculpts everything from famous people to fictional characters. Because of their beauty and rarity, his sculptures have made Willard a wealthy man. But he says, "Success isn't about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it's about persevering and achieving your dreams." Willard Wigan who felt small as a boy has shown something small can really be big.
