Laguna Beach in Orange County, California, is a hub for art lovers: The seaside city is home to over 100 studios and galleries where visitors can purchase or admire work by some of the country’s top up-and-coming artists. But at Brooks Bricks, the pieces on display aren’t for sale.
In front of Natalya Sheddan’s baby blue cottage, stacks of brightly colored bricks line a white picket fence. Some have delicate and intricate designs, others handprints, cartoon animals, and messages like “Live in gratitude.” They’ve all been painted by local residents, and passersby are encouraged to take blank bricks home to adorn and add to the exhibit.
“The project spreads so much joy throughout my community,” Sheddan told Nice News. “From the artists who get to display their bricks and feel seen to the bypassers who can’t help but smile as they walk by, it’s joy all around.”
Sheddan was in a “trying new things” phase of her life after moving to Laguna back in 2022, exploring everything from surfing to painting. As part of her rediscovery process, she felt the impulse to express herself in a public way, and one that didn’t demand excellence — something the mother of two, who recently quit her day job as an attorney, had previously always required of herself.
“It probably started as a self-inflicted exercise in vulnerability,” she shared, adding: “I was determined to paint a rock, but could only find a brick in my yard.” After decorating the unlikely canvas, she propped it up outside, accompanied by a few her children had painted as well.
“There was something so liberating about being ‘bad’ and everyone seeing it,” Sheddan said. “I felt this relief, like, ‘Finally, I get to be bad at something and not feel bad about it!’”
Inspired, she wanted others to experience that same sense of freedom, so she crafted a sign with the words “Take a brick, paint it, bring to display!” and hung it up, hoping her neighbors would take to the idea. They did. Two and half years later, the DIY gallery boasts over 300 bricks, with around three new ones added every week, each different from the next.
“It’s a reminder that, just like the bricks, we are all so unique,” Sheddan said.
For her, the most rewarding part of the project has been the exponential happiness it creates — “that it’s not just fun for someone to paint a brick, but that the painted brick keeps bringing joy to so many others that see it,” she explained. “I don’t think the brick artists realize how many good vibes were spread to others through their bricks.”
And Sheddan is on a mission to bring those good vibes to other communities. This month, Brooks Bricks became a registered nonprofit.
“This is not about the bricks or even the art,” she emphasized. “This is about human connections, a connection to yourself and a connection to others. We have a basic human need to express ourselves, feel heard, and to be a part of a community. The bricks are just a way to accomplish all that.”
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