I’m really excited to be working on a new side project with a talented painter friend of mine, who’s finally ready to exhibit his work and undertake some pretty cool projects! I’ve mentioned before how “everything is connected” and if you’ve read The Alchemist, you know the importance of recognizing signs in life to help guide you.

As soon as my friend and I met about the project, I started to see the signs that this is the right project for me to help with. And while I’m sure that to an extent you look for signs to reinforce something you’re working on, that might also be because things truly feel right and are falling into place.

To prepare for this project, I’m trying to read up on the contemporary art world. I’d read Seven Days in the Art World a while back, and now am diving into a book of interviews with contemporary artists, Lives of the Artists. As soon as I started reading the book, the artists I was reading about started popping up in the news:

• First, I randomly came across this article about Damien Hirst, who’s sculptures are incredibly popular and quite attention-grabbing.
• Then, I was watching Good Morning America, and heard that Demi Moore is dating Julian Schnabel’s young son. Schnabel is a famous painter who’s recently made an impact as a filmmaker.
• Lastly, I follow Vs. Magazine on Facebook and right after I read an interview with photographer Cindy Sherman, they posted about her on their feed.

Yes, these could be considered coincidences, but I’d like to recognize them as subtle signs to keep moving in this direction and dedicate myself to this project. I grabbed a bunch of books from Barnes & Noble on getting into the art world, and am getting to know Chicago galleries, but do you have any resources you can recommend or galleries in the city you love? Share the knowledge!