Reality Right Now

September 17, 2016

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

July 27, 2016

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.

Summer Update

July 25, 2016

Hey all! I wanted to write a quick update before I keep packing up the studio. Yes, we're moving yet again. We have a lot of stuff and it doesn't make moving easy! I am looking forward to setting up my studio again and tackling some new projects once the move is complete. Going through all my supplies last week inspired me to try some new things. I have so much fabric! What can I make with it?!?!

Putting kraft paper between pieces so they don't scratch in the move. We have so much art!

I am proud of our art collection and look forward to the day where we have a home with enough walls for all of it! Is it possible to be an art hoarder? I'm starting to feel like one. When we went to C2E2 this year we said we wouldn't buy any more prints since we didn't have space. We came home with prints from Jenny Parks and an art piece on wood from Jelly Koe. Whoops.

I keep the "10 secrets of Highly-Creative People" printout from Tiffany Han right above my desk. Always a good reminder.

That's about it! I've been playing around with making collage packs to sell since I am kinda obsessed with unique paper finds and think it would be a great way to use my collection.

Art as a Business

June 8, 2016

Per usual, I’ve been doing LOTS of thinking, but not much writing. I need to stop keeping all these thoughts in and get them on paper (well, computer).

I’ve been focused on my day job and other side gig a bit, but still have been thinking about my art practice a ton. I have been making small collages to make sure I keep the practice of making something. I’m in that cycle of being scared to make art. Scared it might suck, scared no one will buy it. But why? This isn’t my main source of income, so why be scared? It might be because I want to start thinking of my art as more of a business and less of a side-hustle turned hobby. Granted, this will still be a side hustle but I want to focus on it more again. Creating makes me happy, putting my work out into the world makes me happy. I suppose the part I really dread is the more business side and “admin tasks”. I know treating my art as more of business will propel it but it’s hard to focus on that when I just want to create.

To dive into what I mean by treating my art as more of a business: I mean to focus on things other than making art and give it a good amount of attention, not treat it as an afterthought. This means keeping up with calls for artists AND their deadlines (I am awful at that). This means marketing myself (scary!) and developing a personal brand. I feel like my work is recognizable, but not on the level I’d like it to be. I need to deal with the nitty gritty boring admin tasks that come along with a business. I know I can do it, but the true question is- can I pull it off? Can I make this a regular side hustle again? And a profitable one?

I want to write more on this as a way to keep myself accountable, so make sure to bookmark my blog or add to your favorite blog reader. I recommend Feedly.

A recent painting and experiment in abstract