TOMORROW, ELM82GALLERY OPENS

Tomorrow, Elm82gallery goes live.

I thought I would feel different the day before. Maybe more confident, or like I had finally reached the point where everything made sense.

Instead, I feel a little bit of everything.

I’m scared. I’m anxious. But I also feel good.

Most of that comes from not knowing what happens next.

For a long time, there was always something else I could work on. Another piece to research. Another photograph to take. Something on the website to change. Packaging to order. An artist to learn about.

Tomorrow that changes.

The site will be there for people to see, and at some point I have to stop building in private and see what happens.

I know I have to be patient. I’m not expecting to wake up tomorrow and suddenly have people buying artwork. That’s not how something like this gets built.

But I do hope I start seeing some seeds.

Part of that is financial. I’ve put a lot into Elm82gallery.

But there’s something bigger I want validation for—the time I spent learning and collecting these works.

I spent countless hours on my phone researching artists, editions, galleries and individual pieces. Sometimes too many hours.

Looking back, I realize there were times when collecting took time away from my family because I was always looking for the next piece.

I don’t necessarily regret that. At least not today.

It was part of how I learned.

But I’ve changed.

I’ve gotten much better about not buying artwork. I can discover an artist now without feeling like I need to own something immediately.

I can be curious. I can research them. I can ask whether they actually fit what Elm82 is becoming.

And if they do, there’s no rush.

That feels different.

Earlier today I worked out, which helped clear my head. Afterward, I found myself thinking about some of the works that will be available tomorrow.

There’s something strange about hoping they sell.

I’ve spent so much time finding them, researching them and owning them. Now I’m hoping somebody else sees something in one of those works, takes it home and hangs it on their wall.

Maybe that’s part of what a gallery is supposed to be.

And then there are the pieces sitting in my drawers right now.

Some haven’t been looked at in a while.

Eventually I’ll pull one out again, and maybe I’ll see it differently because time has passed.

Some might eventually go onto Elm82gallery.

Some might find another home.

And some might stay with me forever.

We’ll see.

Tomorrow is September 15, 2026.

Elm82gallery opens.