Herb and Dorothy Vogel (a postal worker and a librarian) managed to find space for over 4,000 works of art in the their two-bedroom rent-controlled New York apartment. When they finally donated their precious collection to the National Gallery, they just bought more art because they LOVED the art and the artists.

So please stop whining about not having any more “space” to put works you love. You just aren’t loving the works or the artists you’re considering. Keep looking for something that evokes an emotion, brings a smile, has you breathe easier, gets you to think or take some action.

Here’s a very simple 5-step process to help you:
1. Get next to artists who have values similar to yours and breathe in that creative energy. Spend time with them, talk about their art, their process, who they are, what gets them excited. Buy their work for yourself, as a gift to your own specialness.

2. Buy what you love, always, always, always! It will nurture and nourish you and your beloved soul. Work out a payment plan with the artist, if you need to. (One of my favorite pieces was purchased at $25 a month for 10 months).

3. Get rid of what doesn’t evoke any emotion or feelings – whose only value is that it goes with your furniture; or was created by a “famous” artist and might be worth a lot someday (gag). Believe me, it’s just taking up space. Donate, sell, give away what’s no longer “you.”

4. Change your thinking that having lots of blank wall space is good for you. Hang paintings in a group, as a “gallery” and stack small ones on the walls between doorways, on the sides of hallways, over doors, anywhere there’s wall space. Some of us even have paintings on the floor, leaning against the wall. Put sculptures and 3-D art on any surface where it will be seen by YOU and appreciated. When you love every piece, it’s never “clutter.”

5.  Remember that life is shorter than you think, so buy the work for YOU. Nobody is going to eulogize you because your art collection matched your walls or because you kept a piece for 100 years that you didn’t love.

Watch the documentary “Herb and Dorothy” – Netflix, iTunes, DVD – and have a life-altering experience! http://herbanddorothy.com/ –
UPDATE: the link to the original film is on the bottom right corner of their webpage. The new movie is about their contribution to museums in the 50 states.

Love to you all, Susie