A First Visit to the Met: Reigniting Creative Energy

A few weekends ago, I finally visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City—a trip I had been looking forward to for years. Despite living relatively nearby, I had somehow never gone. The Met’s scale is staggering: over 2 million works spanning 5,000 years, from ancient artifacts to contemporary painting.

Before my visit, I explored the museum’s website to map out the galleries and artists I most wanted to see. My final list included 39 galleries and a wide-ranging group of artists: Albers, Cézanne, de Kooning, Frankenthaler, Monet, Rothko, Van Gogh, and many more.

I was ready.

The Met had always felt a bit like a dream, so stepping through its doors for the first time was both exhilarating and slightly overwhelming. I followed a loose path through the galleries, beginning with the late 19th-century artists and working my way toward the contemporary collections. I let instinct guide me—pausing where something caught my eye, staying longer where something held me.

Throughout the day, I took in a wide range of styles: the light and color of the Impressionists, the structure of early modernism, and the intensity of gestural abstraction. I saw every artist on my list—and many I hadn’t expected to. Standing in front of those works, seeing the brushstrokes up close, was a powerful reminder of what art can do. I left feeling energized and excited about returning to my own painting practice.

The Met reminded me that inspiration often comes gradually. Sometimes it’s not one masterpiece, but the slow accumulation of many, that reignites creative energy. If you haven’t been, go; if New York City is too far, visit a museum local to you. Don’t just see the art—feel it. One painting might be all it takes to wake something up in you.