When Later Becomes Now

A few weeks ago, I found myself standing in a medical facility hallway, hanging one of my photographs as part of a paid rental installation.

It wasn’t a big job, but it was something new, a little uncertain, and, if I’m being honest, a bit of a risk. I had to invest in prints I didn’t even own yet just to make it happen. But when the last frame went up and I stepped back to take it all in, there was this quiet shift.

Something real had just started.

If you read our last piece, Living Before Never Shows Up, you know where my head has been lately. My mom, mortality, and that growing realization that “someday” doesn’t come with any guarantees.

That article was about naming that out loud.

This one is about what I decided to do with it.

I’ve spent years in corporate IT, and along the way I was lucky to make the jump to becoming a professional photographer, still within the corporate world where, if I’m honest, I don’t find much joy. It’s been stable, predictable, and in many ways it’s taken care of us. But there’s another version of me that shows up in a different environment. At my booth during summer art shows. At the Maple Grove Arts Center, where I volunteer. In conversations with other artists and small business owners.

That version of me feels different. More engaged. More energized. More like myself.

Through my work at MGAC, I stepped into the role of Director of the Business of Art program, which places local artists’ work in businesses on a rotating basis. It’s a model that makes a lot of sense. Many businesses want original, meaningful art, but don’t necessarily want to commit to purchasing it outright. This gives them a way to live with art without that pressure.

The more I worked within that program, the more a simple question kept coming back.

What would it look like to build something like this for my own work?

That question is what led to the Wanderlust Photography Art Rental Program.

The concept is straightforward: businesses can rent my fine art photography on flexible terms. Three months, six, or twelve. Each piece is professionally printed, framed, and ready to hang. At the end of the term, they can rotate in something new, purchase a piece they’ve connected with, or continue with what they have.

It removes the friction. No large upfront investment. No empty walls. No generic artwork that doesn’t really say anything.

It also changes the relationship I have with my work. Instead of handing it off to a gallery and giving up a significant percentage in the process, I get to stay connected to where it lives and how it’s experienced.

The first inquiry came a few weeks after launching. The medical facility installation I mentioned earlier pushed me a bit. New prints, a custom agreement, and a process I had to figure out in real time. But everything came together. The installation went smoothly, the client was happy, and by the time I walked out, I was already thinking about the next opportunity.

That’s usually a good sign.

Kris has been self-employed as a virtual assistant for about eight years now, working fully remote with a level of flexibility that has fundamentally shaped how we live. It’s allowed us to travel more, to be present for each other, and to respond when life doesn’t go according to plan.

That kind of flexibility is something I want as well, not just for the freedom it creates, but because what I’m doing in the art community genuinely energizes me. It’s the part I want to grow, not squeeze into the margins.

The art rental program isn’t going to replace a full-time salary overnight, and I’m not approaching it that way. But it’s a real step toward building something that aligns more closely with how I want to spend my time and what I want my work to look like.

And that first inquiry was a signal that this might actually work.

One of the best parts is that we’re building it together. Kris is handling the business side, supporting client communication, and helping shape what this becomes. It’s added a layer to this that I didn’t fully expect, and it’s been better because of it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about intention lately, especially the difference between actively building a life versus simply maintaining one out of habit.

Watching my mom lose her independence has a way of bringing that into focus quickly. Not in a panicked way, but in a clarifying one.

I keep coming back to the same question.

If not now, when?

And if I already know what brings me energy and purpose, what exactly am I waiting for?

I don’t have a perfectly mapped-out answer. What I have is one installation, a few new prints on a wall, and a growing sense that I’m finally moving in the right direction.

If you know a business in the Twin Cities that could use something more intentional on their walls, I’d love an introduction. Medical offices, coworking spaces, boutique hotels, or salons are all great fits. You can learn more about the program at wanderlustphotography.photos/art-rentals.

And I’d love to hear from you as well. If there’s something you’ve been putting off, something you keep telling yourself you’ll get to “someday,” what would it look like to take the first step now?

ALSO: If you enjoy what we write here and want to help us keep doing it, our tip jar is always open. No pressure, just gratitude.