Not Just About Beauty

Art that connects

I was about to share a blog post on the importance of surrounding yourself with beauty. It sounded nice, it made sense — and yet, something about it didn’t sit right with me. It felt… contrived.

Lately (again), I’ve been asking myself bigger questions about my purpose and my values. Why do I paint? What do I really want to share with the world? For a long time, I thought the answer was beauty. To create something beautiful and offer that to others, in the hope that I will have some small part in lifting the collective energy of the world.

But here’s the truth: that’s not the whole story.

Sharing beauty sounds lovely, but it’s not completely who I am. And I think that’s why I’ve been struggling — trying to be someone I’m not. I wanted to be the sunny, happy-go-lucky type who only shares lightness and joy. Don't get me wrong I love the work of artists who share their light and bright, but when I thought about it, the things I’m drawn to most aren’t always like that.

I love the darker things.

The hush of nocturnal paintings.

A song that goes straight to the soul.

Poignant beauty.

The perfection in imperfection.

And above all, what I crave most is connection, particularly through my work.

That’s my real “why.” It’s not just about creating beauty, it’s about creating resonance. About offering a moment that meets someone else where they are — in their light, or in their shadows — and gives them something to hold onto. A sense of recognition. A sense that they’re not alone.

Today this realisation feels like an epiphany for me. Maybe not earth-shattering to anyone else and probably something I have considered before and somehow forgotten, but something that I can finally sink my teeth into in the studio. I feel free to paint honestly, to let the darker edges exist alongside the lighter ones. To stop telling myself that I can only present one version of myself and instead trust that connection happens when we allow all of it to be seen.

Because at the heart of it, that’s what I want my work to do:

to connect.

to resonate.

to remind us all that we’re not alone.

Probably not a big surprise when these are my inspiration photos

"My hope is that my art and words offer connection - a reminder that we can all feel a little less alone. If this resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts"

My Paintings