Years ago, my now husband and I stayed at our friends’ family beach house in Hull, Massachusetts — a home that has been in their family for over 100 years. You could feel the memories in every room, every creaky floorboard, every corner of the house.

One afternoon, I sat on the dock and sketched the house in my sketchbook. When we got home, I mailed the drawing to the family as a small thank you.

Fast forward to this weekend at our friends’ wedding — his dad came up to me and said, “I have to show you something.” He pulled out a worn little copy of that sketch that he still carries in his wallet.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment.

Seeing how a simple sketch could hold so much meaning, memory, and love years later reminded me exactly why art matters. Sometimes it’s not about the perfect piece or where it ends up displayed — it’s about capturing a feeling, a home, a moment in time that means something to someone.

And knowing that drawing became something worth carrying every day… that’s the kind of thing that makes being an artist so special.