Sunday, October 13, 2013

New to Me Studio

The most difficult challenge for me is to separate time out from other daily responsibilities. This is because I work from home. It wasn't as difficult when I was a student because I'd hop in the car and go to the studio. I could stay a few hours or all day with little interruptions.  
Now that I work from home I am accessible. I can see the tasks that need to be done like laundry, vacuuming, dishes etc. My husband is retired so he innocently asks for assistance with his computer or finding something or sharing an interesting article he's found. I didn't have a dedicated space for my art making. It was difficult to set up a routine. Instead it was fitting in the art which wasn't consistent.

Our front room was being used as office space for my contract work and the nonprofits where we volunteered. I no longer am doing that kind of contract work so the room was sitting there as a big storage space for information no longer relevant. As I stood in the room one day with the sun pouring in the windows I realized it was the perfect space for my art making. The big challenge was to go through nearly fifteen years of stored paper and what ever else I found. It took weeks and I'm still not finished but the studio is set up and I have worked in it. My supplies are all in one place and easily accessed. No longer and I working from the kitchen table or laundry room. My art books titles are easily seen and I can either paint or read in my space. They had been tucked into various book cases around the house. 

I haven't got a regular schedule yet but I have worked in 1 1/2 hours blocks and found it workable. The silence and no interruptions was energizing. I think I'm going to like this.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Elizabeth. I've always found changes like you mention extremely difficult; that is getting into the groove of a new, workable art/life schedule. Sometimes, it can be something as simple as the weather! I congratulate you on your progress and hope you continue to enjoy your new workspace!

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  2. Thanks for your encouragement! My blog has helped me fight off the isolation and I am grateful to my virtual neighbourhood for inspiration and information. It is comforting to know many artists around the globe struggling with similar issues and succeeding in overcoming them.

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