My late-night painting sessions finally made me see things from my neighbor's side

I always thought my art time was harmless, but her polite note about the smell of turpentine woke me up. Now I set up in the garage and we're both happier.

5 comments

5 Comments

anthonym801mo ago

Guess my neighbor's subtle hint about my barbecue smoke last summer was their way of saying please stop, lmao. Honestly, it's wild how we don't notice our own annoying habits until someone points them out. Moving your painting to the garage is a boss move, though. Now you're probably the considerate neighbor everyone wishes they had. Bet your old setup had them dreaming of turpentine clouds every night.

sage_martinez661mo ago

That polite note about the smell is such a GOOD example. It's easy to forget how our hobbies affect others, like loud music or cooking smells. Moving to the garage shows real care, and it probably made your neighbor feel HEARD. I bet now you two get along better, maybe even share a hello over the fence. Small fixes like that can turn a tense spot into a friendly one. Really cool how you took the hint and made a change.

the_angela1mo ago

It really does build up goodwill over the long run, too.

brians421mo ago

Ugh, yeah... it's so true. I had a neighbor who would blast music late and it just built up this quiet resentment, you know? Then my trash cans started smelling bad in the summer and I didn't even realize it was bothering them... fixing that small thing changed the whole feel. It really is about those tiny, quiet choices... they add up to how safe and comfortable your own home feels.

willowp751mo ago

Wait, does it though? I mean sometimes you fix one thing and they just find something else to complain about... like okay I moved my trash can, but then it's about my lawn clippings or whatever. Feels like you can bend over backwards and some people just won't be happy. Maybe on a good street it works, but on my street it never seems to end.