Research-driven artist T.W. Pilar’s 11 Good Things

In this series, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better.

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T.W. Pilar is an Atlanta-based artist and designer whose research-driven practice centers on sculpture, installation and site-responsive work. Operating through Pilar Studios, her projects examine the relationship between human-made systems and natural environments, framing industry, perception and ecology as interconnected conditions rather than opposing forces. Her work often employs industrial materials alongside organic elements, using spatial design and material contrast to investigate how environments are constructed, experienced and remembered. Informed by ecological research and philosophical inquiry, Pilar’s practice positions aesthetic form as a tool for ethical reflection, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship to the systems — natural and artificial — that shape contemporary life.

Here, in no particular order, are her 11 Good Things. 

1. Slow mornings. Waking up without an alarm has completely changed how I experience time. I prefer letting my body set the pace in the morning and relearning how to live in world that associates urgency with productivity. 
2. Fresh, simple food. There’s something grounding about food that feels clean, thoughtful and nourishing. Atlanta offers so many places like that, but lately long brunches at Kitty Dare have become a favorite — there’s nothing better than a three-hour breakfast. 
3. Pilates. Having a daily practice that builds strength and fits effortlessly into my daily routine has been transformative. Pilates especially has given me so much more motivation and confidence than I could imagine.
4. My sister and nephews. They are favorite people, and getting to be part of their life as an aunt is incredibly grounding. Being close with them lets me experience a much more fulfilling role in this world. 
5. Paying attention to the world. Noticing small shifts — light across a room, the rhythm of a day unfolding — has become essential to how I move through life. Presence, for me, is where meaning quietly reveals itself.
6. Quiet, liminal spaces. Libraries, research buildings, empty galleries — but also empty restaurants, quiet streets or spaces just before they fill. I love moments when places meant to be loud briefly fall still; they make everything feel sharper once the world starts moving again.
7. Trees. Trees are just so enchanting; they are alive and carry so much energy. Sunlight filtering through leaves or branches moving in a storm has always inspired me to center environmental and ecological ways of thinking.
8. Small escapes. Stepping away — whether to the mountains or just into a hotel for a few days — creates space for real presence. Riding horses, reading, resting or simply existing without urgency feels essential, especially when shared with people close to me.
9. Symphonic/classical music. Few things feel as immersive as a full orchestra in person; it’s something I can feel in my skin. I’m grateful to have access to that through the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and to experience it under the direction of Natalie Stutzmann, whose leadership feels especially meaningful in a field where female directors are still rare.
10. Creating. Following my curiosity from research to physical form is where everything comes into focus. Translating ideas into tangible work and sharing them through Pilar Studios is the space where I feel most aligned and so alive.
11. Building a life where art isn’t separate from living. Living with intention allows even the most ordinary moments to accumulate into something meaningful. Thoughtful choices — how you dress, what you listen to, where you place yourself — can quietly transform everyday routines into moments that feel cinematic and fully lived.