04/06/2026
I came to France to create, but I’ve spent much of my time learning how to slow down, notice, and trust myself.
People have been asking what I’ve been working on here in France as an Artist in Residency at
The short answer is: Paintings.
But the longer answer is that I’ve been working on myself, too.
I’ve been creating a new series, experimenting with ways of bringing more recognizable forms into my abstract work. Subjects that might help communicate a feeling or tell a deeper story. I’ve been filling sketchbooks, writing songs, taking photographs, and spending so much time simply paying attention to what I’m drawn to and wondering why.
What has surprised me most is how much of this residency hasn’t looked like making art at all.
It has looked like slow mornings.
Long conversations with other artists.
Wandering through magnificent villages with no agenda.
Sitting by rivers.
Reading.
Thinking.
Processing.
Listening.
At home, I often feel pressure to be productive. Here, I’ve been learning that creating isn’t just about producing work. It’s about exploring, noticing, learning, resting, and receiving.
Those things are not separate from the work.
They are the work.
France has also given me something I wasn’t expecting: confidence.
And perhaps the most valuable thing I’ve learned here is that slowing down, noticing, and allowing space for curiosity is more important than the outcome itself.
