How To Choose Art Without Adding Clutter To Your Home

If you have been through and continue to go through the cycles of decluttering, organising and creating your living space, you will understand just how much you can hold back on bringing something new into your home, especially when that object has a significant financial value and will be a visual focus.

You have done the work and understand that you want less ‘stuff’ in your home and anything that you do allow into your home has to be chosen wisely. 

You understand the impact your choices make and have now committed to living life more intentionally.

When I made a conscious decision to start living my life with intention one of the first things to happen was that I became hyper-aware of my environment. The more I tried to tune inwards I realised how distracted I was by my outer world.

The physical clutter around me confused me, overwhelmed me and became a barrier between me and my inner voice.  But when we begin to understand the impact our purchases have we can become conscious of the questions we need to be asking ourselves about what we are buying.

Sometimes we can become so aware of the importance of our choices when it comes to bringing new things into our home that we end up not taking action, we hold off on investing in something for fear of making the wrong choice.

As an artist, I use my work to encourage and empower others, and that’s exactly how I want you to feel when you allow a piece of art into your home, whether it is mine or someone else’s; Empowered.

So, take a step back and ask yourself these 5 questions, so you can confidently make the right choices when it comes to buying art for your home.

What is the artist’s message/story?

If you want the artwork you place in your home to have more meaning, you need to understand the meaning behind the piece of art. The artist will always have a story to tell or a message to spread. Connecting with that artist’s story will be one of the most important steps in choosing artwork for your home. Never be afraid to reach out to an artist and to ask them questions about where their art comes from and who they make their art for.

Do I connect with the artist’s story/message?

If you don’t connect with the artist’s message then your attraction to a piece of art remains superficial. 

Choosing a piece of art just because of how it looks will not serve in helping to make your home a sanctuary, it becomes a place where you simply store your belongings, sleep, eat and bathe. 

When you do connect with the artist’s story and message the connection to the art will be deeper and have the power to make you reflect, inspire you, encourage you, give you strength during hard times, bring you joy. Take time to understand where your stories align and how the art can serve you, more than being just visually attractive.

How much of my focus do I want this piece to attract?

If you connect with the artist’s story and would like to invest in one of their pieces you then want to ask yourself how much of your attention you want this piece of art to take. 

Do you want this piece of art to be a focal point or be a piece that plays a smaller role in making your space feel more like you? 

Don’t hold back in communicating with the artist about what role you want the piece to play in your home, they will be able to talk you through your choices, or perhaps propose a commissioned piece.

Is this a piece that talks to my future self or my past self?

Whilst I strive to stay in the present, a lot of the work that artists create is about bridging the gap between where we are and where we want to be. 

It is important to understand what a piece of art provokes in you. If it is sadness, it may be something about the past, you are not striving to go backwards. If it is hope, joy or something about it inspires you, then this is a piece that will help you focus on moving towards where you want to be. 

Even if you have connected with an artist, don’t feel rushed into buying a piece, take time to connect with it and what feelings it provokes in you.

Does this piece comfort me or confront me?

A little bit of both is good.

But I don’t believe a piece of art, that we bring into our home, should make us think negatively, instead, it should speak to us in a way that encourages us to step up. 

Tough love. 

A piece of art should feel like home, but it should be able to make us sit and reflect a little harder about where we are, how far we have come and how far we want to go. It should be chosen for how it talks to your inner world, not your outer world. What is in your home that already comforts you? Ask yourself why and how the piece of art may interact with it.

When it comes to buying art think about yourself as a curator, remind yourself of the life that you are trying to create, choose the piece of art that is going to help you to feel more like you, that is going to hold your focus, help you to reflect, keep your focus on where you want to go and ultimately bring you joy.