Why I Go To The Met Every Sunday
Thoughts on ritual and creativity
My favorite place in New York City is on 1000 Fifth Avenue. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a monument to Human creativity. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been visiting weekly and it has made a profound impact on my life. Every Sunday, I hop on the F train, transfer to the 6, climb up and down flights of stairs to stand face-to-face with brilliant works spanning centuries—a privilege I wasn’t fully using until now.
I’ve been drawn to masterpieces by Turner, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Rodin, and many others. Everything from ancient Roman sculpture to protest posters from after the Mexican Revolution. At the Met, I feel like I’m walking into a rich conversation between artists. Those who came before, lived, worked, and managed to escape mortality through art.
If the week left me drained and weary, when I step into the Met those feelings dissolve. Gradually, any traces of displacement vanish as I peruse energized by the nutrients my eyes and mind absorb. Visiting the Met each Sunday also reminds me of a ritual I grew up with: going to church. Going weekly feels necessary for the soul.
Going to the Met satisfies another important need. A reminder that you belong to something larger. I find a sense of community among the crowd, rooted in art and curiosity, and I leave inspired and recharged. Experiencing ideas from many cultures, eras, and mediums in a single afternoon is a decadent meal.
Others have noticed my weekly trips and some have asked to come along. A close friend in textiles recently joined and showed me how tapestries were made. Sharing this visual feast with her gave me a whole new perspective.
I’m excited to keep bringing people along. A visual meal is better when you share with another. If you’re in New York on a Sunday and want to join, let me know—I’m always happy to have company.⚜️
P.S. Do you have any rituals important to your process? Please share in the comments.
The Pinboard
I’ve been obsessively reading The Courage To Be Disliked.
Written as a dialogue it goes over a Japanese philosophy on living.Rewatched Severance and appreciated the storytelling even more than before. It’s a psychological thriller with excellent set design.
I’ve been experimenting with building a digital “Aart Tour” and built an visual/audio art generator called “genAart.”
Bookplates. Incredible rabbit hole to be in.
Love this. Nearby, there’s a rose garden and a peace garden outside a local museum and I love walking to them and spending time in meditation in both places. Let’s me soak up stillness to steady myself. P.S. The Courage To Be Disliked is so good!