Art Without Apology – Part 2: Trust Your Gut (It’s Not Lying to You)

Q: Why does some art hit you in the gut and never let go?
Because your gut doesn’t lie.

You know what you like—until the high school crowd that never grew up tells you what you’re supposed to like and edits your unique out.

You’ve known since you were a kid. It wasn’t some art degree or gallery guidebook that taught you how to feel. It was the goosebumps. The hair on your arms standing up. That electric hum in your chest when you looked at something and thought—“This. This is me.”

But then came the noise. The expert opinions (hard eye roll). The curated walls. The “what does it mean” crowd, waiting for a dissertation on that special shade of red.

“It’s RED Karen!!! Don’t think you’re being all smarmy.”

And somewhere along the way, we started asking for permission to like what we liked. Started second-guessing the deep heart aching pull. Started apologizing for wanting what moved us and began looking to the crowd for answers.

Hard truth: you don’t need to understand a piece of art to connect with it.

You just need to listen to that quiet, feral part of you, the one with scuffed knees and dirt on her face. That kid knows when something is so very YOU and then goes on to collect unicorns like it’s her full time job – I’m proud to say I had over 100 when I was 8.

My collectors don’t need convincing. They walk into the room, and it’s already decided.

Their body knows. Their story recognizes itself.

Some girls were told to sit still. Others turned the chair into a throne.

Because the works I create are not trying to charm your dinner guests or blend into the walls. It’s made to mirror your unspoken bits. The parts of you that were made to hold depth, contradiction, fire, and softness—at the same time.

There are parts of you you’ve only just started to show the world. The parts that don’t follow rules. The ones that got labeled difficult, dramatic, or “too much.” The world still wants you to be good. To be placid. To follow the rules.

You’ve spent a lifetime being trained out of your own instincts.

Told your knowing was defiance.

That your strength was something to tone down.

And yet—somewhere inside—you’ve always remembered.

Your taste isn’t random. It’s not trendy. It’s the map back to yourself.

That’s why you’re drawn to work that refuses to play nice. You’re not looking for something polite to hang in a hallway.
You’re looking for something that remembers. So when you see a painting held inside a 100-year-old window from a convent—maybe you don’t know the whole story, but you feel it.

This is why each of my paintings is housed in a frame made from a 100-year-old window from Maryvale Abbey—a girls’ school run by nuns. Those windows watched generations of young women being taught what they should be. My art, in those frames, is a reclamation. It’s permission to be bold, to be unapologetically you. This work is figurative, layered, and a little bougie, but with a punk rock heart. It’s for the women who know that their intuition, not a lecture, is the only guide they need.

So if you’re waiting for a sign, a degree, or a translation? Don’t. The art you love doesn’t need to be explained.

Your taste doesn’t need credentials. It needs courage.

The art you love doesn’t need to be explained. It needs to be claimed.

LET THE WALLS TALK BACK!

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Decorate your home like it’s a revolution. Not a waiting room.

Your Questions on Art & Intuition

Q: How do I know if I’m choosing the “right” art for my home?

A: Stop thinking about “right” or “wrong.” The right piece of art is the one that speaks to you, not the one that matches your sofa. If a painting gives you a physical reaction—that goosebump feeling, a sense of recognition, or an emotional charge—that is your gut telling you it’s a piece for you. Trust that feeling above all else. Your personal collection should be a testament to your own evolving story, not a decorator’s guide. Decorate your home like it’s a revolution. Not a waiting room.

Q: Does the art have to match my room?

A: No. Art isn’t a throw pillow. You don’t buy it to blend in—you buy it because it moves you. The right piece will work anywhere because it brings its own energy. Let the connection come first, and the room will rise to meet it. Look at it this way—the walls will get repainted over and over, the couch is just for butts, but the art? That’s meant to last a lifetime. Choose your $$$ wisely. Paint fades. Cushions sag. The right art outlives both.

Q: Can a painting be both figurative and abstract?

A: Yes. My work blends both. You can see the figure, but it’s layered with bold marks and textured surfaces that almost tip into abstraction. That mix lets you feel the emotion of the figure while also getting pulled into the movement and energy of the paint itself. It’s about sensing there’s a story there without needing every detail spelled out. You don’t need a PhD in art history to get it—just a pulse.

Q: How do I become an art collector if I don’t have a lot of money?

A: You are already a collector. Anyone who buys a piece of art they love is a collector. The only requirement is passion and a willingness to follow your own taste. Start small, buy what you can afford, and build a collection that tells your story. The most valuable collections are not the most expensive, but the ones that are deeply personal and curated with intention.

I’m Sara Leger, a Canadian contemporary artist based in South Glengarry, Ontario. I create bold, rebellious art for women who know exactly who they are. The couch gets your butt. The art gets your legacy.

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