Sometimes you just need to get out, find the highway, and enjoy the ride
I was driving along past Desert Hot Springs listening to the radio. I don’t even remember what the song was. It was instrumental, no lyrics, just music. But there was something about it that made me stop thinking about everything else for a moment. The music, the road, the scenery, the breeze coming through the open window. The wind was blowing through my hair, and I remember thinking, Geez, life is a luxury.
It wasn’t anything particularly extraordinary. I wasn’t on some expensive vacation or staying at a beautiful resort. I was simply driving, enjoying the moment, looking at the scenery, and appreciating where I was.
And it occurred to me that sometimes we overlook the things that make life enjoyable because we’re too busy thinking about everything we need to do.
As an artist, I spend a lot of time looking at things. Colors, shapes, landscapes, architecture, the way light changes, the way something catches my attention. I see things I like, things that impress me, and things that make me stop and take another look. Sometimes I want to photograph them. Sometimes I just want to remember them. And sometimes they give me an idea that eventually finds its way into a painting.
But I don’t always have to turn everything into something.
Sometimes it’s enough just to enjoy looking.
I have the good fortune of spending time in two very different environments. Tucson has that unmistakable desert character, with its mountains, open spaces, cactus, and wide expanses of sky. Palm Springs has a different feeling altogether. It’s almost like a coastal environment, even though it isn’t on the coast. The architecture, palm trees, mountains, light, and atmosphere give it its own personality.
Going back and forth between the two gives me a change of scenery, a different perspective, and something new to appreciate. I don’t necessarily have to be looking for inspiration. It’s all around me.
Maybe that’s part of what I enjoy about being an artist. I’m always looking, even when I’m not working. But there’s a difference between looking for something to paint and simply appreciating what’s in front of me.
I think we sometimes get so caught up in making a living, solving problems, paying bills, and trying to figure out what’s next that we forget to enjoy the things that are already here. We measure life by what we’ve accomplished, what we’ve bought, where we’re going, or what we still need to achieve.
But every once in a while, something as simple as a drive, a good song, a beautiful landscape, and a little fresh air can put everything into perspective.
Maybe art is a luxury. Having a beautiful painting in your home, living with something that makes you smile every time you walk into a room, is certainly something to appreciate. But I’m beginning to think the bigger luxury is being able to recognize beauty in the first place.
You don’t have to own it. You don’t have to buy it. You don’t even have to do anything with it.
You just have to be there long enough to appreciate it.
And then there’s another part of being an artist that I sometimes stop and think about. Over the years, my paintings have been delivered to some beautiful homes. They’ve gone to places all over the country, and probably to places I’ll never have the opportunity to see. It’s quite amazing when I think about how many different people have brought something I’ve created into their homes.
Every once in a while, someone will get in touch with me and tell me they still have one of my paintings. I remember one person reaching out simply to say they still had my work and wanted to thank me. After all those years, the painting was still on their wall.
There’s something pretty special about that.
When I finish a painting, it eventually leaves my hands. I don’t always know where it will end up, how long someone will keep it, or what it will mean to them over time. But there it is, still hanging in someone’s home, becoming part of their surroundings and their everyday life.
I think that’s a luxury, too. Not just having the opportunity to create something, but knowing that something you made can continue to bring enjoyment to someone else long after you’ve moved on to the next thing.
Maybe that’s what I was thinking about on that drive. Not art, not business, not what I needed to accomplish when I got home. Just the simple pleasure of being somewhere beautiful, listening to music, feeling the breeze, and enjoying the moment.
Life doesn’t always have to be about getting somewhere.
Sometimes the ride itself is the luxury.
Life is a luxury. And sometimes, all you have to do is notice. Art is a luxury.
Art is a luxury, too; not just because of what it costs, but because of what it brings into our lives. It’s the beauty we surround ourselves with, the imagination that takes us somewhere else, and the feeling we get from experiencing something that speaks to us. Sometimes it’s a painting on a wall, sometimes it’s a landscape passing by the window, and sometimes it’s simply a moment that makes us stop and appreciate where we are. That’s the luxury of it. That’s the luxury.
