The Curation of Mental & Physical Space

I spent the past week in New Orleans on a work trip for New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and the 3rd Coast Venture Summit. I will start out by saying I did not expect to enjoy it in the intricate ways that I did. I have been to New Orleans one other time and it was hell. It was the dead of summer - we are talking 107 degree temperatures. The heat was so intense I felt like the only thing I could pay attention to while exploring the city was placing one foot in front of the other to swiftly got myself into whatever the next air conditioned space was ready to accept me sweatily. I didn’t observe the architecture, the people, the designs. It felt like pure survival mode. Tunnel vision. The streets smelled like sizzling urine. Did I mention that I had rampant ulcers? I barely had any food or drink fun while I made that visit. It was a blistering 107 degrees on the outside, and felt like the same 107 degrees of heat and pain on the inside. I digress. Moral of the story here, I was going to be happy never going to NOLA again.

The weather ahead for my stay was a nice 70-76 degrees for the week - much better than Ohio weather in early March. In my Uber from the airport to my hotel, I could notice differences in state of being about the city. I decided I was going into this trip open. After getting to my hotel, I made friends with the woman at the front desk. We talked, I joked a little, we laughed, and to my surprise she upgraded my room to a top floor suite in this boutique hotel. The space and the view were incredible. Things were already trending up.

I came to notice quickly that this city is diverse. I don’t mean diverse exclusively as race, ethnicity or skin color, but in where humans are from, both physically and spiritually. The languages they speak, the words they say and the points of weight in their sentences. What they wear, how they curate their existence and share it with the world around them. The state of this city didn’t depict notable “self-esteem” issues. It was truly beautiful. Humans of NOLA decorated themselves in colors, textures, patterns, and mixes of each and all at the same time. Every single person embodied their own individual essence. Not something that you would see in a current storefront window, but items that may have had personal meaning, that were collected and perhaps honored a part of their inner being. I will note that I learned that there was not the traditional mall shopping experience in NOLA - lot’s of antiques, consignment shops, boutiques and locally owned small businesses instead. I didn’t see as many chain stores sprinkled throughout the strips and neighborhoods. I believe this combined with the true cultural hub that exists in NOLA contributed to the way it felt to walk through the neighborhoods and up and down the streets.

The curation of individuality didn’t begin or end with the clothing and accessories people wore. I was impressed time and time again with every experience I had in a restaurant, cafe, bar, and even in the location that the summit I attended was held. Walking into bar Marilou felt like I had been transported somewhere else entirely. It was dim, sultry and moody. The walls were red with floral accents. Nearly every wall was a book shelf and not only that, the books were substantial. Classics, banned books, books that I would be proud to read and feature on my own bookshelves at home. This immersive experience didn’t stop here. I had intrinsically curated experiences at Josephine Estelle, Patron Saint, Sucre, Osteria Lupo, The Vintage, Peacock Room, Jolie, and Cherry. Everywhere was its own brand, its own vibe, a space creating its own essence of belonging.

It felt like the way spaces were treated, cultivated and created, were not just intentional. They were celebratory. Exuberant. The were both expressive and magnetic. Born to bring people in, hold them, let them experience something. Enticing them to long spend their valuable and fleeting time in their walls. Another thing I noticed - nowhere was quiet or even remotely quiet. Seemingly, these spaces created the springboard for comfort and connection. Laughter, debates, and boisterous conversation swelled within these spaces.

In the heart of New Orleans lies an art scene that pulsates with life, serving as both a staple in the community and the connective tissue that binds the city's vibrant soul. This rich tapestry of artistic expression is visible on every corner, where the streets hum with the energy of independent galleries and the walls tell stories through creased and cracked walls that hold unique and vibrant art. There, art is not just an activity; it's a way of life that embodies the city's diverse history and its residents' resilience and creativity. The local art scene, with its eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary works, invites observers into a world where each piece tells a story, capturing the essence of New Orleans, or perhaps transition to New Orleans. It's a place where artists and art lovers alike gather, creating a communal space that thrives on connection, dialogue, and shared experiences. This lively artistic ecosystem fosters a sense of belonging and contributes significantly to the cultural fabric of New Orleans, making it a city where every street, every gallery, and every piece of art adds to the colorful narrative that is uniquely NOLA.

All of these experiences guided my thoughts to consider what would happen to our lives and our minds if we curated ourselves, our whole selves and our spaces, like art? Like they mattered deeply? Like they would host, oh I don’t know perhaps the most important things to us… OUR LIVES AND VERY EXISTENCE?! If only we could understand how this would serve us. Imagine every session of therapy or coaching you go to and through as an additional metaphorical throw pillow, plush blanket or wing backed chair that would get to exist in your inner space. Each trial or tribulation like an original oil painting hanging on the walls of your existence telling the story of making it to the other side of something. The mental clarity and space and healing you afford yourself begins to be the space that holds you internally no matter what your external surroundings look like. And by doing that work, the imprint you yourself leave on the world changes and enhances the human experience for all that encounter it. All connected. Everything touches.

Yes, you see, if we create and cultivate meaningful spaces, things begin to mean more to us. It’s funny how you treat things like they matter and then you realize that they actually do. It’s investment. Investment in how we allow ourselves to feel safe, empowered, held, encouraged. If we can begin to look at ourselves, our beings, our spaces, as art, they become art. We are all art. We are all expression. Our bodies are just this membrane that allows consumption and expression. We have the light and patterns that live inside of us and then we have the outer world where we express and depict what the reflections of the inside look like. Our bodies are the vessel. A physical being to be decorated and to decorate - I don’t say this in a lavish way, I say this in a way of creating connective tissue to invite people in, share with them, honor them while honoring self, breeding empathy and understanding.

New Orleans reminded me that we are all artists of our own lives. Our bodies and minds are the mediums through which we interact with the world. By viewing ourselves as art, worthy of curation and care, we invite a deeper connection to ourselves and others. We become a living testament to the beauty of intentional living, echoing the vibrancy and depth of places like New Orleans, where every street, every person, and every moment is a masterpiece of human expression.

Let us embark on this journey of curating our mental and physical spaces, where each choice, each addition, is a brushstroke on the canvas of our lives, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary, and in doing so, revealing the artistry within and around us.