CLEVELAND -- Matt Sweeney's passion for art burns deep inside him.
The artist's biggest canvas so far? The side of a brick building at the corner of West 74th and Detroit Avenue.
"It's nice seeing your work on the side of a building, I'm not gonna lie," Sweeney said while admiring his work from across the street.
His inspiration?
"Any great piece of art really has to come from your own personal experiences."
The passion for this piece comes from an all too real place for Sweeney.
"When I think about this neighborhood I cant help but think about that time in our lives."
It was early in the morning, Sweeney and his wife were sleeping when they woke up by their dog barking.
"We couldn't figure out what was happening," recalled Sweeney. "I walked out back and there were maybe 30 foot flames. We had just enough time to get out."
A fire that started in their neighbor's house, quickly spread to theirs.
"It was devastating," said Sweeney.
The fire took everything. Pictures, artwork and memories were gone in a flash.
"My wife and I have been together since we were like 12 so there are photos you can't reprint."
Three years have gone by since the fire destroyed his home. When he was approached to design the mural on the building just feet from where his house once stood, he drew from his personal experience for inspiration.
"I wanted to tie in that feeling. The feeling that maybe falling, falling apart, but still having something to hold onto for instance this one being my wife."
For Sweeney, it's not what was destroyed in the fire that he holds on to. He holds on to what came out of the flames.