Sept. 4, 2021

The other day in our studio a little girl was painting. I’ll be completely honest, I wasn’t having my best day. Not many of us have had our best days lately, but I don’t need to go into all that. I was wrapped up in my own, not so positive, thoughts.

Anyway, she was working hard and she looked up at me. I’m sure I didn’t look very good at that moment, and she just said, “You know, this is my safe place.”

I almost lost it. 

That is everything I ever wanted to hear in my studio.

When you own a business, things can be difficult even during the best of times. There’s always something to do, fires to put out, bills to pay. At times it can feel like there’s a sack of bricks on your shoulders. You do it, though, because you want to bring something special to the world. Something that you know, deep down, can help people. When that happens, everything becomes worth it. 

When that happens over and over again it becomes more than just a business. 

What we have experienced over this time has been extremely hard on all of us. Now, more than ever, we need art. We need places for people to feel safe enough to just let go and be themselves and know it’s OK. Even if just for a little while. 

Just in the last week at Aran’s I’ve seen people young, old, straight, gay, trans, black, white, and a lot more, all here and feeling like they have a place where they could leave the stress of the world outside our Dutch door and just exist and express for a while.

Giving people a place where they can do that is a responsibility I don’t take lightly and even during some of the worst times of the past 18 months, remembering what we do here at Aran’s Art Studio always brings me a sense of calm and joy. Even if that doesn’t last too long. 

 I want to let you know that I’ll be blogging at least twice a month and I’d love to know what you’d like me to write about. 

 It’s all on the table, but all I can tell you is that whatever I write about, it will reflect who we are as a studio and as people.

Thank you,

Aran