What is ART?

A humble REFLECTiON on ART, CONNECTiON it sparks, and a small iNViTATiON

One quiet afternoon, near a high bluff by the sea, down the path from a beautiful Hacienda, on a street whose name means ‘the corner of a little path’ in Spanish, a child asked their Papa, “What is ART? I mean… what makes it ‘REAL’?”

Papi thought for a moment, thoughtfully holding a warm porcelain mug with a subtle representation of his favorite team(s) in sports. “ART becomes real,” he said, “when it helps us feel more connected—to ourselves, to each other, and to the PLACES to which we belong or are longing to know more about.”

The child frowned a little. “But my drawings are messy. Sometimes I don’t even know what they are until I’m finished, and even then, sometimes they appear to be just colors or scribbles without a shape. How could that be real art?”

Papa smiled. “‘Real’ does not mean perfect, he explained calmly. “‘Real’ means honest, genuine.”

ART as a BRIDGE

Artistic expression is one of the oldest bridges we have. Long before we shared documents or presentations, we were drawing on rock walls, weaving stories into blankets and baskets, carving symbols into wood, and singing into the night. We were saying:

“I am here. I felt this. Have you ever felt it, or something like it too?”

Every time someone picks up a pen, a brush, a camera, a handful of clay, a guitar or sits in front of their computer or a piano, they’re building that bridge again.

The lines don’t have to be straight. The notes are often not in tune. And the words certainly do not have to be fancy.

If there is “TRUTH” inside or behind them—a curiosity, a question, a whisper of gratitude—then there is ART. And where there is ART, there is the opportunity for CONNECTiON.

ART & PLACE in TIME

We often think of ART as something that hangs in a gallery or sits on a pedestal, but most of the time, it is simply the way we learn to see where we are.

·        A sketch of the same tree you walk past every day.

·        A photograph of light spilling across your kitchen floor.

·        A melody that sounds like the birdsong outside your window during a significant time in your life.

When we pay attention long enough to translate PLACE or our imagination into colors, shapes, rhythms, and stories, our surroundings stop being the “background.” They start to feel like characters or participants. They begin to come to life.

·        The hill you always drive over becomes a steady companion.

·        The old river becomes a wise elder, carrying memories downstream.

·        The bamboo grove, the canyon, or the rooftop garden become quiet teachers of resilience and renewal.

ART helps us listen. ART helps us see. ART offers us to experience … PLACE & TIME.

And when we listen intently, we often find we have been part of a larger story all along.

ART & others

Sometimes, when we share our artistic designs, we might worry:

“What if no one likes it?”

“What if they don’t understand?”

But the secret is this: ART is not a test you pass or fail. It’s an iNViTATiON.

When someone sees a painting and says, “That reminds me of HOME,” a CONNECTiON sparks between you, even if the iNTERPRETATiON  of a particular installation is different than the artist’s iNSPiRATiON or iNTENTiON, in the first place.

When a poem gives words to a feeling they couldn’t name, a little more space opens in their chest.

When a handmade object—a mug, a patch, a plate, a hat—finds its way into their everyday life, they carry a small piece of the creator’s courage with them.

Your ART might not change the whole world, but it might change or have an impact on someone’s world for a moment.

Lives are an accumulation of moments. Moments are where lives live. A very special person once told me, when you experience a special moment, “Wiggle your toes.” She explained the simple act reminds us how precious life is and an accumulation of special moments worth remembering—worth sharing.

Becoming “REAL”

The child looked at Papa again.

“So… artwork becomes real when it’s loved, or at least appreciated?”

“Partly,” said Papi. “It also becomes real when you are changed by making it. When you sit with your feelings long enough to give them shape or form, you are shaping yourself too. You become a little more open, a little more kind, a little more curious about other people and the PLACES from which they come and experiences they have lived.

That’s what ART does. It softens us. It stretches us. It reminds us that we belong to one other.”

The child thought about their messy drawings taped to the wall. Suddenly, they didn’t look so small. They looked like little bridges, reaching outward. And the child realized maybe they are real  ARTful expressions after all.

A small invitation

Rinconcito GRIS is my little grey corner for Grateful expressions, Reflections, Inspirations, and Shared selections—a space to practice this kind of ART.

So, you don’t need to be an “artist” to join in. I encourage you to:

• Notice one thing in your day that feels quietly beautiful,
• Capture it—in a sentence, a doodle, a snapshot, a melody hummed into your phone,
• Share it with someone, or simply whisper “thank you” to the PLACE that offered it, and
• “Wiggle your toes.” 😊

The simple act is ART.

I feel especially grateful to have a partner in SHOP ALTHEA who helps guide and curate the ART we bring into the world—colors, stories, patches, hats, and future SARi creations that honor both responsible materials and the PLACES in TIME that inspire them. Together, we are learning how each product can become a small UNiON: ART + material, maker + wearer, memory + PLACE—sparks of JOY and positive impact that ripple outward, one moment at a time, and that might echo in eternity.

Every time we choose ART, we choose CONNECTiON—to ourselves, to each other, and to the beautifully imperfect world we all share as our HOME.