87/365: My Happy Place

Today I made:

a clean art studio...

Here's a peek into my studio in it's cleanest state in between projects. It's always undergoing reorganizations and redecorations as I try to find ways to make the best use of my itty bitty creative space. This is where I go to see what art comes out of me...

a space of my own

the stuff that art is made of

staying organized and inspired

Setting up my art space last summer

helped solidify in my mind that my creative life exists, that my art matters, and that it has a permanent place in my home and my heart. Having a place to go to do my work encouraged me to step into an artist's identity. Before I had a space of my own, I made art on the living room floor. My husband was kind enough not to comment on the craft bomb that exploded all over our shared space as he stepped around the mess. I would end up with stiff knees, a sore neck and a disaster of a living room- on the good days. More often than not, the very thought of having to haul all my supplies out of the closet and then put them all away again kept me from wanting to begin. It's incredible how much more time I spend being creative with a space devoted to art making, where motivation and inspiration are abundant.                             To construct my art desk, my hubby helped me stain a 2'x6' piece of pine board that we propped on a dresser with 2x4s to make room underneath for storing canvases, papers and works in progress. The desk holds a table easel, supply storage and still  has plenty of space to work. Book-shelves are devoted to my scrap-books, art journals, inspiration files & vintage books. Over the door I hung a shoe organizer, the pockets of which are great for keeping frequently used supplies organized and on hand. A few dresser drawers were cleaned out to to make room for collage papers, stamps, fabrics and ephemera. The bedroom doesn't have great lighting, so I purchased some wall-mountable lamps from IKEA. The wall is hung with my design line and inspiration & vision boards. I surround myself with things that inspire me & make me happy.

Do you have a creative space of your very own? Maybe the end of the dining room table or a craft closet? Someday I would love to devote a whole room to my art making, maybe even share the space with another artist so we can inspire each other. For now, I share the space with the things that make up a normal bedroom. My husband doesn't complain about the smell of paint and my pup gets to snuggle in bed while I make art.