I love my house and love my garden but I am shout-out-loud-Halleluja and down-on-my-knees grateful for my studio. Nestled above the garage, it looks out over the garden in the back. It is a space close to the house (commute time: 45 seconds) but not IN the house, making it a perfect space to work and create.
A creative space is not necessarily one for contemplation or quiet meditation. A space like this should be energized, so you can let ideas bounce off the walls and give life to plans and schemes. Joseph Conrad said that “all creative art is magic” and I couldn’t agree more. But it is ultimately easier for this magic to happen if you have a great space in which to do it.
You can create in all kinds of spaces. I have, in the past, used extra bedrooms, the dining room table, the kitchen, and a card table stuck in a hallway. But if you can figure out a designated space, where you can leave projects half done and come back to finish later, it is a blessing indeed.
Whether you draw, paint, stitch, weave, quilt, write or simply think about doing all these things (and more!) a special place set aside for creativity will probably enhance your ability to make these schemes come true.
My studio is a record of my history as well as a place to manifest ideas. But, even with a special place to create, magic doesn’t always happen. The trash can in my studio is a reminder of things that didn’t turn out so well. I am definitely NOT a doll maker, potter, knitter, or paper mache artist.
I know how lucky I am to have this space but I like to think that even without my studio, the creative impulse would survive. After all, it’s what you do that’s most important, not where you do it. So, all I want for the future is to be able to continue to show up somewhere every day, hoping for that magic to happen one more time.
Laura you are justified in being eternally grateful for your studio. I am reminded of an essay by Virginia Wolf I think called “A Room of My Own” and one by a French Impressionist painter entitled “Revolt of the Bad Brushes” both designed to excuse a blockage to creation or production. Clearly you do not “NEED” your studio, but it sure is nice. Was my 92nd birthday present created in the studio?
Bob, Thanks for your comment. I’ve never read “Revolt of the Bad Brushes” but I sure understand the title!
Yes, I was lucky enough to spend a few days looking at some of your (and my!) favorite books to put together your 92nd birthday gift.
I love to think what YOU would have done in a studio space like this.