Choosing Meaning Over Mass-Produced: Why Original Art Matters

What I Was Thinking

I walked through a department store yesterday.

I love to look at the art, neatly organized by color and frame type. Sometimes I imagine the kind of spaces it would go into—a living room, a child’s bedroom, a coastal vacation home.

Most of it was pretty enough. But none of it connected with me.
It felt like nothing special.
Nothing that tells my story.

One piece, horrifyingly, had a hole torn through the front.
Others had textured areas that looked like hot glue.

I walked out with nothing.

Has this ever happened to you?

You look at a piece. You flip it over. Check the price.
Maybe even think, This’ll fill that empty spot in the hallway.

But then you get it home… and it’s just flat.

No energy.
No story.
No soul.

We’ve all done it—because mass-produced art is easy.
But easy isn’t always what your home is asking for.

Why It Matters

Mass-market prints might match your rug.
But they won’t move your heart.

Original art, though?

It carries breath.
It holds memory.

It has layers and layers of color and texture—so much more to see.
It shows up imperfect and alive and completely its own.

And here’s the thing:
You don’t need to be a “serious collector” to choose meaning over mass-produced.
You just need to trust the feeling that rises when something really speaks to you.

When you find a piece that feels like truth on canvas—
That’s the moment.
That’s when collecting becomes personal.

Original work carries presence.
It anchors your space in something deeper than décor.
It says:
This matters to me.
This is where we’ve been.
This is what I want to remember.

And no machine-made print can say that for you.

From the Studio

I’m back in the early layers of my new series—letting water and color swoosh across the paper, dropping in pops of yellow, teal, and magenta. The beginning is the easy part: everything is free and exciting, full of possibility.

Next comes the work.
The focus.
The decision-making as the forms begin to emerge.

And last, the details.
We’re getting there.

If This Hits Home

If you’ve been settling for placeholders—pieces to “fill the space” without filling your soul—this is your nudge.

Your home deserves something that speaks.
You deserve something that speaks.

There are a few original watercolor landscapes still available in my shop, and they’re full of breath and story.

If one of them stirs something in you, follow that.
It’s speaking for a reason.

Tell Me

Have you ever brought something into your home that actually changed the way it felt to be there?

Tell me about it.

And if you’re ready to bring that kind of presence into your space—I’d love to help you find the right piece.