Art.  What is art?  Everyone has an answer.  I love it best when someone sees an art piece and says “Hmph, I could have made THAT!”  But, you didn’t.  And that, is the biggest difference between you being you… and you being an (say it with a French accent) Artist!

With art as an expression of one’s inner thoughts and feelings, you find many variations of art and it’s why an artist’s work changes over time.

And, you don’t have to be crazy like Van Gogh, cutting off your ear to be deemed an artist.  Anyone can do it.

Heck, even I’ve made art, had some pieces in galleries and sold them too.  I was inspired while living at The Brewery, a live/work artists colony.  I’ve been told it’s one of the largest in the world and it’s right near downtown Los Angeles.  It’s called The Brewery because… wait for it… it used to be a Brewery.  This corkboard is one of the few remnants from that period.

Twice a year, The Brewery has their Art Walk.  I went last weekend to reminisce and see what’s new.  Everyone living there opens their doors for a weekend so you can come carouse around (yes, they sell beer and food) and view their art.

Plus, you get to see how they’ve decorated and designed their creative, open spaces.  I loved this kitchen with the free hanging windows as a room divider.

All the living spaces are big loft style with high ceilings, big rooms and most of them, lots of natural light.  This is my old building.  I went there to visit my old neighbor, but he’d moved out.

Downtown isn’t for everyone.  I remember when friends would come to visit, they were a little reluctant to get out of their cars.  They were used to their high security building in West LA. Here, I didn’t even so much as shut the door half the time, let alone lock it.  Fear and false security are tough habits to break.

Living here was fun with eclectic personalities and something interesting happening all the time and being so close to the trains.  Love hearing the train whistles blow.  And these trees.  Can you explain how these trees possibly survive here?  Amazingly they do.  They must be feeding off the creative energy.