Originally, I was going to just do one long post on this topic. I decided against that, however. I myself am in the process of re-creating my CREATIVE HOME", which I think is going to be a long process for me. So....I decided to make this into a series of posts, each one including a little about my own progress, along with tips and hints I am picking up from the magazines and online research I am actually doing about Artists Studios. In this first segment, I will start with where I started.
My current studio is in a spare bedroom of the house. Like so many of you out there, I had been working off the dining room table back a few years. When I decided I was going to open a shop, it became a mandate for me to have a specific space, someplace I could leave my work when I chose to, and come back to work on it later. At that time I had three places in our home to choose from...the unused den, the unused family room, or the "guest room". I actually chose the smallest of the three, the guest room. I had hopes for the den to become a place for the kids to hang out with their friends, do their homework, etc when they were a bit older (remember, this was in 2004). That would actually have made the best studio space, but kids come first. The den, where my husband wanted me to set up shop, is right off the garage, and one of the 2 main entries into the house. Talk about no privacy!!!!! It is also very dark, despite the 2 windows, is used for a good deal of storage, and houses the 2 litter boxes. To me, that was a no brainer to say no to.
So, the spare room won out. Altho it is the smallest space, it has a large closet, which I had envisioned turning into shelving and a work area. It also is on the main floor, so I could keep an eye on the kids. It has two windows with good light, and a door that I can close off from everyone.
So I guess the first tip in finding ones "Creative Home" is to look around your house, and decide which area makes the most sense for your needs, and stake your claim on it.
That was what I did......then. Next time I will talk about what it all looks like now, 6 years later, and how I have decided to deal with it.
