I am an advocate for contemporary artists and art making and have spent a disproportionate amount of my time trying to understand “what is well done and what is for me”. This is the lens that I look through when I think about collecting art and living with it.

But, beyond the notion of collecting art, there’s also the very basic concept of spending time engaging with incredible objects. Art appreciation goes beyond the aesthetics and promotes cognitive enhancement, stress reduction, memory improvement, and social connectivity. There’s also a lot of research that suggest that viewing art stimulates brain activity in the areas of the brain that reduce cortisol levels.

Take a look at this incredible work from Zach Harris above. Enlarge the work and spend 60 seconds looking from end to end. This is an object that I own and simply adore. I can spend a half an hour studying all the nuances and I find my breathing and heart rate slows really quickly when I do so.

Some of the greatest joys in life just require you to slow down and let your mind wander.