You’ve been in that moment. You’ve felt those vibes. You are perusing the walls of a perfectly curated gallery and then, like lightning, it hits you. THAT piece. The one that changes everything for you. Do you remember which it was?

One of the richest springs to bloom is the one that thaws the jaded parts of the heart that’s seen it all. Nothing can surprise a soul like that. That is, until the magic of an artist’s vision, in an unexpected moment of openness, vulnerability — or that of a mind listing lazily like an un-rowed boat — gently reminds us that we are human.

Laisser 2 Traces, David & David, acrylic on plate glass

Art can wake us up. The narrative of time seems to trend toward weary resignation. The monologue of monotony lulls us into a sort of dissatisfied malaise.  But art — greatart — something that slides in between the calendar lines and numbers on the clock face of our daily routine — our militantly regimented subconscious, gives a jolt of life.

To see it, to hear it, to feel it, we don’t have to be at our best. We may be worn out, tired and frustrated with what life has to offer — but as long as we are open to the idea of being woken up, it can happen. Are you run down? Are you running low? Are you losing steam? Go see art.

People Everywhere, Everyone’s Along 12, Ricardo Jorge Reis, Lisbon

Go to a gallery and get in front of the oil on canvas. Stand under the watchful eye of that painting and just see. Go down the street to the closest record shop. Sit down and put on the worn headphones, let the music wash into your brain and just hear. Go to the center of the city and breathe in that air. Stay at the feet of the statues, touch the marble or granite or concrete and just feel.

These are the moments art was meant to create. They let light and love and hope slowly meander into the blood. When it happens — when the heart starts to beat with the reminder that art is a reflection not only of what once was but also what can be — that’s a moment that can stop you in your tracks.