The Art of the Ampersand

Why Ampersand?

"I'm not going to live my life on one side of an ampersand." - Amanda Palmer

People often ask me why I chose the ampersand as the name and symbol for my work. On the surface, it’s just a funny little squiggle we all recognize: &. But to me, it’s a philosophy. The ampersand means there’s always more. It’s the promise that even when things look messy (and in my studio, they often do), there’s another chapter, another layer, another chance.

 

The Symbol That Keeps Going

The ampersand comes from the Latin word et, meaning “and.” Over centuries, the letters morphed into the symbol we know today: &. What I love about it is that it never ends the story. It’s not a period. It doesn’t slam the door. Instead, it holds the door open and says, “And then what?”

That’s exactly how I experience life and art: joy and grief, chaos and calm, mess and beauty.

 

The Tornado (and the Relief Team)

My boyfriend calls me a tornado. But to be fair, he also admits that I’m the relief team after the storm, I might spin things into chaos, but I’m also the one who comes through to clean it all up. That’s how my art works, too.

I make a mess first, paint everywhere, ideas colliding, emotions swirling... and then, slowly, I create calm out of it. That transformation, from storm to stillness, is where I find meaning.

 

From Social Media to Studio

Ampersand isn’t new to me. I first used the name when I ran a social media company. Back then, the ampersand stood for connection and community — linking people and ideas. Today, it still means connection, but in a more personal way. My paintings are how I connect with myself, my grief, my joy — and with anyone else who happens to see themselves in the work.

 

Healing in the Mess

I’ve started dipping my toes into art therapy studies (slowly, because life). What I’ve learned so far is that art doesn’t have to be “good” to be healing. Sometimes it’s about letting the mess out — the tornado — and then finding the calm that follows.

For me, painting is both. It’s messy and grounding. It’s chaos and clarity. It’s my way of processing life’s contradictions, and maybe giving someone else a piece of beauty to hold onto in theirs.

 

Always an "and"

So why Ampersand? Because it reminds me that nothing is ever just one thing. It’s not only joy or only grief. It’s both, together. Life isn’t a period. It’s an and.

And for you? I wonder what your "and" is right now. Maybe it’s messy and magical. Hard and hopeful. Tornado and relief team. Whatever it is, the ampersand reminds us that the story keeps going.