The Lure of Creative Spaces

How do you feel in the space in which you create? This has been on my mind quite a bit lately – not just the function of a space but how it feels and even how it represents us. I’ve decided to let that thought guide us into a slightly different type of blog this week.

As you might have read in the previous post or two, there are some changes going on at the homestead here where Tenth Muse Arts is based and we’re about to start tearing out walls and then, of course, rebuilding in that space. So, of course, my husband and I have been asking ourselves, “What do we want in this space?”. Well, we want a lot of things but there is a budget, and it is not particularly large, so we have been talking through what is most important to us. It has turned into a very interesting conversation, one that goes beyond paint colors and cabinet styles.

After addressing the functionality of the space we have to repair and rebuild – because of it doesn’t function nothing else is going to work out well – my husband and I followed the logical path and started talking about color, materials and placement. By the end of the conversation though, we were talking about emotion. It may be because we are both artists that we backed out to ask how we wanted it to feel followed by the details that would make the space fulfill that wish. This is the space we live in (and where I work as well) and we want the home to feel comfortable, like shrugging on a comfortable but well-tailored coat that hangs great and hugs you in all the right places.

With this on our minds, Brett walked into my studio the other day and simply said “This just feels good.” And I knew why he said that. This is what we are after. Not in the style or color scheme but the inviting, comfortable feeling of the space. I have to agree, my work space does feel good but it has not always been so. It’s taken me a long time to realize the importance of creating a space that is as comfortable as my favorite coat, arranging things not just to be functional but to feed my spirit as well.

Up until we moved here a couple of years ago, I had always worked on the business and created my art in a basement or a garage – some kind of windowless, very utilitarian space (the opening photo is a shot of my windowless basement studio in Colorado) – primarily because it was the only unclaimed living space available. Although I would try to decorate, it was never a priority so it mostly didn’t happen. However, those kinds of spaces could be very hard to work in as I usually worked every waking hour there and it would get depressing, not being able to see the outside world. It would make me restless and that wasn’t good for productivity. But what choice did I have?

As it turned out, I have a lot more choices than I allowed myself. My husband made me see that. He is an animation artist and director as well as being the son of antique dealers. Both his vocation and upbringing are in things that consider space, a lot.  Telling a story in animation is very dependent on how the characters and the viewer’s eye moves through the space of the frame and antiques are about decorating and so he is always arranging and rearranging the house and coming home with things to bring in more personality.

Watching him made me think about my mostly utilitarian space and how little I did with it. So, with his help, I started bringing in plants to sit in the cold corners and printed fabrics to drape over the bookcases. We even pulled in an old oriental rug to go under my non-polymer desk area. It changed everything. This was when I was working in a garage (so yeah, the plants were fake or under a grow light but then, I had the look of sunlight in the corners!) When I got the wonderful space I now work in, I really took it up a notch and so now, yep, it just feels good!

Many of you are probably in situations where the space you create in may not ideal however, you can still make it your own and you can still make it feel good, inspiring, and a place that makes you happy. What that means is up to you and what is most important. You might want it very organized with matching furniture and color coordinated accents to make you feel good or you might like the freedom to make a mess on your thrift store tables and mismatched storage bins. You might prefer to stick with utilitarian but keep a collection of favorite things on a nearby shelf to inspire you.

The question really is, have you considered what you can do with, or to, your space to make it feel good (or better) to you? Because a comfortable space is far more conducive to being productive and creative than one that is cold, cramped, awkward, or just boring.

To that end, this week, I’d like to peek in on some studios.

 

The Grand Tour

To start us off I’m going to  I pulled this out of an hour-long bonus video I gave to continuing subscribers from The Polymer Arts and adventurous new subscribers to The Polymer Studio magazine late last year. This is a jazzy visual tour of my studio and office space, complete with boppy background music, a peek into the backyard retreat just outside my door, and an introduction to my furry in-house staff.

You’ll see I’ve stuffed a lot into this one room and it’s two walk-in closet areas, but I’ve been sure to include touches of things that make me happy everywhere. From my collection of oddities on the mantle to the jars of random materials on my jewelry cabinet to the display of all my SLR cameras from over the decades, the space is very much me and is a joy to go into every day.

 

I personally have always been fascinated with the spaces people create in. They feel so personal, like a little window into the mind and soul of that person. So when I first started The Polymer Arts back in 2011, I knew I wanted to do an issue all about the spaces that we work in. I figured it would be of interest to others as well, not just for voyeuristic reasons, but because it could make us feel more connected. And I sure was right! The Spring 2012 – Creative Spaces issue sold out in print quicker than any other and is still one of the most downloaded of our digital back issues.

You can really see the personality of the artists that participated in that issue. For instance, it was no surprise to see that Christi Friesen’s space was full of knickknacks and collected bits of art and all kinds of books. She is a high energy person and with an insatiable curiosity so it makes sense that she should surround herself with things that she loves and that inspire her. You can see a bit of this in the first page from her section of that issue.

 

By the way, Christi is actually between studios right now, or you can say the whole world is her studio as she travels all over this year, searching for the answer to how one keeps creating while traveling. You can follow her shenanigans replete with mini classes and demos in her new members only Virtual Creative Experience here.

When the photos from Leanne and Paul Stoddard at Swirly Designs came in for that Spring 2012 issue, I was not surprised to see the orderliness and organization of their studio. The ornaments they create are designed with tremendous care with a focus on whimsy – and so is their space. Their studio looks like something put together for an interior design TV show with its coordinated color scheme complete with matching white furniture and energetic sparks of red tucked in here and there. Oh … and lots of Christmas trees, just everywhere!

Now, when I asked Bettina Welker to share her space, I was not sure what to expect. As it turned out, she was also working in a basement like I was at the time. The importance of functionality is obvious and there is not much room left for decor but she has a great wall of sketches, photos and and design ideas that she keeps up for inspiration. It actually inspired me at the time to create something similar for myself. It makes so much sense!

 

All these studio peeks are fun stuff, right? The popularity of that issue always stuck with me, so when I was determining the concept of the new magazine, I decided that the spaces that we work in should be a regular feature and that’s how the name, The Polymer Studio, came about. The next issue of The Polymer Studio, coming out in a few weeks, features Christine Dumont’s studio and the interesting journey she took to create the space she now works in. (We’ll be sending in the mailing list for the first round of the new issue to be mailed directly from the printer  on Friday, so get your subscription or pre-order your copy now to be one of the first to get it in your hot little hands!)

So, what is your approach to how you set up or decorate your creative work space? Even if you can only snag the end of the dining room table after dinner, that corner should be conducive to productive creativity. Maybe you can keep some of your favorite pieces out where you can see them to be motivated by your successes. If you can, hang pictures or put out objects with colors, textures, and forms that excite you. Make your space as physically comfortable as you can and reconsider the placement of your tools and materials if getting to them is difficult or even just a minor hassle. Doing a little spring cleaning and reorganizing and reevaluating your space might be just the thing to add that extra spark of energy and excitement to your creative time and your work right now.

 

More Voyeuristic Opportunities

Here’s a few more links to other studio tours for you to peer in on. Even if you studio is just how you want it, peeking in is just fun.

In 2016, Katie Oskin of Kater’s Acres invited people into her studio with a personal tour video, seen below. You’ll notice that she also has a couch in her studio. I know mine feels like such a necessity now. Can you fit one into your space? Or do you have one already? (If you have one, leave a comment! I’d love to see how many of you also thought a cozy sitting (and nap!) space was needed.

 

Ginger Davis Allman takes you into her studio on this post of hers but it’s focused on her tools and materials more so than the physical space. But doesn’t that tell you a lot about what’s important to Ginger?

And here’s a post full of photos of Debbie Crother’s studio. You’ll read that she’s really big on recycled and environmentally friendly furniture and organizers. She also  has a lovely, dedicated display of her work. But what strikes me is that she has sooo much space! Having a builder for a husband sure has it’s benefits!

 

Okay gang… I have to run off now. I need to finish putting together the next issue of The Polymer Studio (and finish clearing the kitchen for demolition!) If you have not subscribed to the magazine yet and have had any inclination to do so, I would so love for you to join me there. You subscription and book purchases support the creation of this blog and all the artists that we are working to support in turn, plus you get inspiration and tons of eye candy for yourself!

In the meantime, have fun considering what more you could do with your space to encourage your creativity and enjoyment of your time creating. If you’ve posted about your space anywhere we can go check out online, leave it in a comment here. We’d all love to come e-visit!