Wet Studio Ready for Action
What does it take for you to get into your studio. Of course what I'm talking about is the process you develop for settling your mind and focusing on your work. After many years of working in the studio most artist do find that they have certain things they do either consciously or unconsciously which allows them to push the clutter of day-to-day life aside and begin their work.
Creativity is a tricky thing. Good ideas often seem to just pop into your head but I believe they "pop in" because you are never mentally far away from your work. However, sometimes the ideas just aren't flowing or you have some issue in a piece that you are having a problem with so you can't just head to the studio and start work. This is a time you may require what Twyla Tharp calls the creative habit. Tharp applies this phrase to many parts of creative endeavor but here I'm just talking about what you need to do to release the outside world and get to the work at hand.
For myself, I find I have to have some sort of order in my studio. I am a casual housekeeper. I don't run around picking things up and dusting and doing whatever good housekeepers do but there is a certain level of order I require for living and for working in my studio. I have to have some clear table space. I have to be able to walk around the room freely without tripping over a pile of fabric. I have to be able to believe I can find a pair of scissors without much effort. When I start to realize things are getting too far out of control, then I stop and take the time to put things back in order.
Quilting Room Nice and Orderly
What else do I do? I check my email. I sometimes have a cup of tea and sit in the space and look at whatever I have on my design wall, be it a piece in process or some scrap of paper I have put there that interest me. I may flip through a book, a magazine or an old sketchbook. I might do some thumbnail sketches or sort fabric. Recently I have started playing a lot of music which has been a joy. For years I have worked in silence and I do enjoy silence, but music has entered my head and it has become an element in finding that blessed zone where I can work on my art.
Sometimes, toward the end of a piece when I can see that it is coming together, I can't take time to straighten things up. I keep working until the piece is finished. But before something new can begin I have to clear the decks.
If you have never considered what you do to get your creativity in gear, I encourage you to observe yourself and practice building habits which will strengthen your studio experience and the resulting work.
Thank you for spending time with me and your comments are always welcome.
