Workspace Update!

Remember when I posted some sad photos of my studio/office back in September? I thought I would update with new photos of where I work. It's an organized chaos and still pretty messy, but it's a good set up for the small space I have. Renting means working with what you have, and I've adapted fairly well considering where I started (look at the very end of this post for that box nightmare)

L: I love these Ikea wall mount shelves!

R: I keep my favorite art (small) pieces that I have collected over the years above my desk for inspiration. 

L: The insanely full bookcase holds everything: sketchbooks, supplies, business cards...etc

R: Another desk view

Where this room started (Ack!)

Tonight's task, attempt to unpack a few office boxes.

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Reality Right Now

I'd love to be sharing a new piece that I've been working on, but that's not happening. The reality right now is we dealt with a stressful move and there are still unpacked boxes a month later. We are renting an apartment that was rehabbed and unfortunately not finished in time, causing us to board our cat and couch surf for close to a week before we could actually move in with our stuff. There is still work being finished up while we live here (hence the unpacked boxes), and well, it's made life stressful. I haven't fully set up my studio and I haven't painted since the last apartment. Moving every year is no fun but we gotta make it work since this is the situation we’re currently in.

The reality of the office/studio right now is pictured below. I didn't move, pick up, or style anything. This is the messy reality. I look at Pinterest multiple times a week, and while it's a great place to collect ideas, it's also giving me some serious guilt about our place not looking perfect. I just recently finished reading “Real Artists Have Day Jobs” by Sara Benincasa and one of the major takeaways I got is that life isn’t perfect and that is totally OK.  So I'm sharing this picture for anyone who also feels their life is a little bit messy and chaotic right now.

I'm in an accountability group online and this week I set the goal for myself to paint/draw/collage anything no matter how small or ugly, to get myself back in the habit. I look forward to see what I end up making and will share here (yet another format of accountability). I'm a little behind, but if I get something done tomorrow I'll be within the week I set.

Thanks for reading! It’s rather cathartic for me to share this and I can’t wait to be settled in!

 

Home Studio Inspiration

As I mentioned in my last post we are moving in about a week and a half and while moving sucks, I LOVE nesting. I am always looking to maximize space with organization techniques to make the most of a small home office/studio. 

I wanted to share some inspiration I found online, I definitely noticed some trends of what draws my eye! 

I notice that what draws my eye is an organized chaos. I appreciate the minimalist aesthetic but it's just not for me. I have a good amount of stuff and I like it to at least look organized and have its own place. I like wall shelving since there is only so much floor space in a small room that I also share with Scott's desk. Having art and other various imagery and inspiration hanging where I can easily see it is also important to me. I'll take a moment to sit back in my chair to think and I always enjoy looking at the art hanging nearby.

We'll see how the new space turns out! I'll take pictures and share once it's set up. It won't be magazine pretty like these images above, but it will be my space!  For more of my inspiration follow me on Pinterest.