The Space Between the Hustle: A December Dispatch

Posted: December 2025

If your inbox looks anything like mine right now, it has turned into a digital strip mall shouting about discounts, scarcity, and urgency.

I don’t have a sale for you. I don’t have a countdown clock.

What I have is a new digital home, art you can step into, and a genuine invitation to slow down.

Something is in the air. It feels like the times are changing, or maybe I’m just hopeful. We survived a year that often felt like a fever dream, oscillating between an oppressive nightmare and "living the dream." I’ve been thinking of Rudyard Kipling’s If—learning to meet Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.

The waves are still big, but I’m just glad we aren’t in the deep end anymore. We’re learning to swim.

The Anti-Sale: Art Over Deals

In a season of endless markdowns, I’ve made a conscious choice: no sales, no pricing gimmicks.

Art has an inherent value that transcends seasonal marketing. Every canvas represents hours of creation, emotion, and technical craft. That value doesn’t drop just because the calendar flipped to December.

Instead of a coupon code, I’m offering a better way to see the work. I’ve launched a completely redesigned website at www.Shrey.art. My previous site had over 7,000 visitors, but I felt constrained. This new space is a clean, gallery-like digital home where the work can speak for itself without distraction.

Life, The Studio, and The Shift

People often ask me, "Shrey, how do you manage three jobs, contract gigs, and a studio practice?"

The honest answer isn’t caffeine or a perfect spreadsheet. It’s the drive. It’s the necessity of making art happen for myself and the artists I support. But the landscape is shifting.

Planning for 2026 has already begun (including two upcoming solo shows at Root Division and SOMArts!), but the immediate reality is a bit of a shuffle. I recently had my hours reduced at ArtSpan by 25% due to financial constraints at the org. Simultaneously, I’ve been working as a Programs Assistant for the Svane Family Foundation, a role I deeply appreciate.

Managing this mix is a significant hustle. But there are moments where the hustle quiets down, and the life part happens.

October was the lift I needed. It landed right around my 28th birthday. Thanks to an incredible Open Studios, I sold enough small paintings to fund a move into a new home with my girlfriend. Just last week, my mom visited. We did the Bay Area properly— dinner slowdowns, hotel breakfasts, and home cooked indian food. It was two workaholics remembering how to enjoy the space between the hustle.

Where to Connect This Month

I’m leaning harder into showing up and building ways for people to support the work steadily, without gimmicks. If you are around this weekend, I’d truly love to see you.

Root Division Winter Open Studios & Artist Fair

• When: Saturday, Dec 13 (12 PM – 5 PM)

• The Vibe: 19 vendors, DJs, food, and coffee.

• Why come: It’s supported by the Svane Foundation, and it’s a great chance to see the work in person. Plus, my girlfriend Bianca (LinesILeftOut) will be in my studio sharing her poems and zines.

Ingleside Gallery: Last Exhibition of the Year

• What: Portal, Puzzle, Pretzel, Pothole featuring Matt Goldberg.

• Where: Ballast Coffee, 329 West Portal Ave, SF.

• When: Reception this weekend (Preview 12-1pm, General 1-3pm).

• The Art: Matt’s work plays with space, color, and a sharp, mischievous visual cadence. It’s brilliant stuff.

To The Souls Who Build a Home Within the Hustle

If you aren’t in San Francisco, I’ve refreshed the Online Shop with small works, prints, and originals. I’ll ship anywhere within reason. You can also browse the current Ingleside Gallery exhibitions online.

As you know, this is fully a one-person operation. Every art sale, postcard purchase, and donation goes directly toward keeping the gallery program running, sustaining my art practice, and keeping me rooted in San Francisco.

If you feel moved to support, nothing is too small. Even "buying me a coffee" keeps the momentum going and helps cover essentials like healthcare.

To everyone who has read, looked, bought, or just showed up this year: Thank you. Art thrives in connection, and your engagement makes this work meaningful.

Keep your gaze fixed on the light through the fog. Community will come find you; so has been my experience here in San Francisco.

See you in the new year.

Shrey