Cultivating Space

Space matters. A person’s environment can spark creativity, inspire their artwork, and contribute greatly to their growth as an artist.

Or not.

Surrounding oneself with art, be it their own or works they admire, goes a long way in fostering creative progress. Paintings, photos, sculptures, or other media gives us inspiration and hope. They remind us to focus on our work, lest life get in the way. It can also be a source of shame, when we’re mired in a spiral of procrastination, guilt (about procrastinating), bad habits (to escape the guilt), and further procrastination (because we spent so much time escaping, other life tasks are now more urgent). It’s rough.

Guilt can be an effective motivator though.

With this in mind, I’ve decided to turn my living room and adjoining hallway into an art gallery. Displaying my work, alongside that of my children and friends, will hopefully be more inspiring and less guilt-inducing. Painting starts today, so here are the before pictures. Hopefully, I’ll have after pics to share soon.