This Small Project Will Change the Way You Think About Artwork
The January Cure is all about refreshing and organizing your home for 2019. We tackle one assignment each weekday throughout the entire month. It’s not too late to sign up, and you can visit the Cure page to catch up with the assignments so far.
Decluttering is effective at giving your home room to breathe. But equally important is giving that breath some life. Once the counters are clear and the floors have been scrubbed, your happy home should have some warmth and personality underneath.
Let’s face it: The mess will come back, eventually. I think it’s important that we have (or create) elements that remind us how much we love our home, whether it is clean or cluttered, to keep us committed to the work of tidying, today and always.
Today’s Cure assignment is a throwback—I think we last did this one in 2014—but I’m bringing it back because I heard from some of you how much you missed it, and I think it perfectly captures the spirit of what we’re doing this month. Many of the Cure assignments are designed to cement the idea that just getting started is half the battle. Putting tiny bits of effort into your home on a regular basis will reap rewards that will always be more than the sum of their parts. Choosing, framing, and finally hanging something that you love as artwork is one of those manageable tasks that goes a long way in making your home an even more special place.
Today’s Assignment: Find and frame some artwork.
Find something you’d like to display in your home, then get it framed and hung.
The art you choose is totally up to you—the only qualification is that it should be something that will make you happy. It can be a piece you’ve had and loved for a while, but you’ve been dragging your feet when it comes to the part where you actually get it on the wall. Or it can be something you choose specifically for this assignment—whether that’s a new print you ring up online, or a treasured thing (menu, ticket stub, scarf) that you decide you’d like to frame and display. The important part is that you should love it and really want to use it to add some warmth, beauty and individuality to your space.
Once you’ve found your art, the next part is to take whatever steps you need to frame it. Measure your piece. If you already have a frame that fits, or can find one locally and quickly, that’s great. If you prefer to have it custom framed, that’s great too—send it out or make the order today. (If you’re ok with acrylic instead of glass, I’ve found Frame it Easy to be fast and affordable—that’s where I order all my frames personally.)
The last thing I’d like you to do today is a bit intangible, but just as important: Make a commitment today that once your artwork is framed and ready, you’ll hang it up right away. This assignment is all about surrounding yourself with things that make you happy, and make your four walls feel like home.
If your art is something like a pennant or wall hanging (or you already have it framed, or you prefer not to frame it), you get to skip the framing step and just get it up on the wall today. How’s that for immediate gratification?
This assignment is open-ended, because everyone has different realities. I know many of you have artwork waiting to be hung up—rolled up posters or a small stack of prints—and you just need the nudge to get it done. Others will benefit more from the reminder that there’s artwork everywhere, if you’re willing to look, just waiting to be pulled out from some drawer or closet or cranny and given the place of honor it deserves.
The art you choose today, and that you fill your home with going forward, can truly be anything. It can be a painting, a drawing, a photograph, a print, a poster, or a card. Big or small. Expensive or free. Something made by you, a friend, a local artist, or even your kids. From a gallery, a secondhand shop, a craft fair or found online. Expand your mind to consider non-traditional things, like an object, or clothing, or a page torn from a book or magazine, or the hand-written note you’ve been keeping in your drawer because makes you smile. Truly anything that makes you happy can be elevated into capital-A Artwork. You just have to get it on the wall.
Once you know what you’re hanging for the Cure assignment today, come share it with us in the comments. We could all use a little inspiration for this one!
Download the printable PDF calendar: January Cure 2019
Share your progress on Instagram: #thejanuarycure