Treme

There is a little coffee shop in the Marigny that is located on a corner in an area that allows the light to hit the pavement at the perfect angle. I feel like I could be in Assisi in some off-the-route piazza. There is a sense of solitude and grace to the place, I think well there. It's where I go after I paint in the mornings. I have never been more comfortable not moving, or doing anything as I do at this little joint. The sense of repose is only obfuscated by the parade of freaks that makes this spot their Mecca. We have every kind of person on the planet cross the threshold to order their personal variation on a coffee, and more importantly express their individuality tacitly. The other day I saw the most beautiful young woman covered in tattoos. I NEVER thought I could appreciate that kind of thing but you could tell there was an art and an unpracticed sensuality to her adornment. That honesty translated. The uninhibited expression that New Orleans offers is really not a put-on, it's a city that breaths creativity without any bent of commercialism. My greatest luxury in life is being surrounded by the most creative people on the planet. The other day I shared an ice tea with my friend who does all the decor for the Rockefeller Center Christmas decorations. I left the visit smarter; I was reminded that possibilities were endless and that the idea of beauty could take any shape. The Proustian idea that its takes external stimulus to trigger personal creativity is a truth. The parade of people that pass my secret coffee shop are a gift.