The Art of the Paper Stack

**Please note- this post is a little long with many images- so you may need to click expand in your email to read the whole thing.**

A few days ago I posted about my love of collecting tiny beautiful objects. I conveniently categorized this “for-my-work” hobby as “The Art of Collecting.” The thought of turning something that initially was not intended as the art into “the art” has continued to marinate in my brain. We can often become paralyzed trying to figure out what to post- especially when it’s dictated by what you think others want to see…but my best tool for when I’m in that mental merry-go-round is to stop and think: What do I enjoy seeing?

One of those elements is “the process.” Yes, the art is something to be admired. It can make you feel a certain way. It can change you, sure. It has the power to do a lot. But I sometimes find myself more attracted to the artist/behind-the-scenes than the art itself.

I may have titled this piece “The Art of the Paper Stack” to quasi justify all the papers and books I’ve accumulated over the years. But, in my defense..there is something I do find truly beautiful about stacks of paper. Small ones, big ones, messy ones, ripped ones, curated ones. Stacks with books. Stacks with objects. Stacks from above. Stacks up close. Stacks from afar.

…All the stacks. You can get so much out of a studio stack. Whenever I see a photo of an artist’s, or any creative’s space, I am for sure zooming in to digitally snoop. I want to see what books they’re reading, what pens they’re using, what notebooks they’re writing in and so forth. Perhaps I am romanticizing the mess here…but there is beauty in the mundane. This is a theme I have found shaping the creativity in my life again and again. I’m an observational artist. I think it is my creative duty to find beauty in what others may not notice. So with that, I thought I’d share some of my favorite stacks from my studio over the past few years. Happy snooping and enjoy!

Curiously Yours,

Carly