Taking a Leap

If you feel totally ready, maybe you've waited too long.

Last summer, I reached out to my friend Betty, who runs a digital marketing studio. Feeling out of my depth on social media, I wanted to pick her brain. When we met up, though, she had other things on her mind. Her second business, The Co-Co, a local co-working space, was in discussions to expand to a new location. She asked if I would be interested in using my art to decorate the space.

This sent my brain scrambling. I'd love a place to display the many paintings I had created, but I wasn't sure I had what she needed in my portfolio. With the space set to open in just a few months, I would have to change the trajectory of my fall to make sure I created enough new pieces to fill her walls. But I said yes.

I toured the raw space, reviewed the color and furniture plans she had drawn up with a designer, and got a sense of the purpose of each room. Having all that information turned designing the art into a puzzle. It helped me understand the size, color, and mood of each piece I needed to make.

And then I got to work.

Prior to this endeavor, my largest canvas had been 3ft x 3ft. Many of these would need to be larger. In the end, I painted 8 large-scale paintings and 12 smaller ones, specifically for the office. I pushed myself from abstract to realistic to whimsical in ways I hadn't in the past.

I loved working toward this goal. It crystallized my best motivations: a deliverable, parameters to work within, and the chance to make beautiful things.

The official ribbon-cutting for the new Co-Co location in Florham Park, NJ, happened in December 2025. I am so grateful for the opportunity, the exposure, and the chance to join the Co-Co community. It started with jumping in before I knew I was ready.

But I think all good things do. Take a look at this virtual art tour through The Co-Co!