After college, I worked for a real estate development company. In addition to working on real estate projects, I was also involved in a bank the company owned in Florida and various investment research projects for the company owner.
The iconic Leroy Neiman portrait of Rocky was on the wall when I moved into my office. And when I left that company three and a half years later, that portrait was still there. I’m sure if I had asked the owner of the company for it, he would have given it to me. Instead, I left with unmatched insight into the real estate and banking industries, memories of great trips to Florida & various Caribbean islands, the ability to find value (hence the name of this blog) and a honing of my research skills (A favorite quote: “Research is a blind date with knowledge.”)
I don’t know if having Rocky Balboa looking over my shoulder as I worked on research projects made the projects better, but it was comforting to see the painting each time I walked into the office.
Since then, I’ve appreciated and respected the importance of art (paintings, framed photos, prints, framed newspaper articles, etc.) in the work space and living space.
And others agree with me. In a study commissioned by Brookfield Properties (an international real estate development/operations firm) and released in 2022, 38% of participants (universe was 3,250 office workers across 10 UK cities) stated that they are satisfied with the atmosphere of their workplace. 41% of those surveyed stated that their workplace was “designed poorly,” and 37% stated that their workplace was “downright uncomfortable”. The study quoted Craig Knight, founder of Identity Realization, a company that tries to improve workplace engagement and environments. Knight: “We found that using art as a form of enrichment has the capacity to boost productivity by up to 17 percent.”
Not only can art boost productivity and creativity, it can also generate revenue. I read an article about a successful real estate broker who sells high end homes. She trades out the seller’s nondescript art for pieces from local galleries. She “dresses” the homes with better art for a better—and faster—sale
I’m extremely fortunate in my travels and experiences. My work area has framed photos from Thailand, Amsterdam, Cuba and that most exotic locale—Pittsburgh. I also have framed articles from the Post-Gazette and framed quotes. From Voltaire: “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” And this Latin proverb: “When there is no wind—row.”
One of the reasons my “art” collection looks so good is because I have two clients who own art galleries. Framing and proper matting is so important for presentation.
I have an email relationship with Marion Nestle. Dr. Nestle is the world’s leading nutrition educator. Her books include Soda Politics, Safe Food, Unsavory Truth, Food Politics, Pet Food Politics, et. al. Her blog, www.foodpolitics.com, is on my short list of “must” reading.
I have the honor of having a matted and framed photograph hanging on Dr. Nestle’s office wall. There is an interesting story on how and why she received this photo. It’s a photo from a food stand in Las Tunas, Cuba. Everything in this photo is in the healthy food category.
Speaking of healthy food, I’m a HUGE fan of onions (“cebello” in Spanish). There are 150 phytochemicals in an onion (quercetin being among the top ones). Having photos of healthy, nutritious food in one’s kitchen is on my list of 40 ways to cut your calories. Here is a photo from my kitchen:
