Do you have (and use, for that matter) a HOME studio?
[By home studio I mean, a studio that you literally have at your home.]
Up until this past weekend, I did not actually have a home art studio even though I told people that I did. Really? The home studio that I have told people I have has been more like a large art and design supply and storage room that is so disordered and unorganized it really is more like a dumping ground for all manner of creative endeavors in various states of existence including not even started, partway through, and carelessly (and hopelessly) abandoned. It is an understatement to say that my home art studio is pretty much a sad and almost literal reflection of what my visual creative endeavors are at home.
Last year I realized something: If I am going to call myself a working visual artist, then I actually have to WORK at it. (It being a visual art.) Also, working at it doesn't equate to me "do"-ing art only at work and with my art students. Technically that kind of working at art is literally that - working and getting paid for it - really, though, that's more teaching and instructing.
Not being a true working artist has stolen by "mojo" (for lack of a better word). In the few moments that I have attempted to steal for myself to create anything, I have found that it is virtually impossible for me to do anything other than make things over and Over and OVER again. (See my discussion of Creating vs. Making here) Case in point? Two evenings ago I went to a paint-your-own-pottery studio and I could not figure out what to paint on the berry colander bowl I selected to paint for myself. Then when I finally decided on doing "berries" (how original, right?) I had to look up pictures of them via Google images on my phone in order to know what to do. Basically, I put someone else's versions of berries on my colander bowl instead of just creating my own.
Now, while this might seem a silly and maybe even stupid thing to fuss about, understand that for me (a person who is pretty able to render or make a version of anything you give me) to not be able to do anything original? Well... I feel like me just re-making things all the time rather than coming up with anything original makes me a huge faker versus someone who is actually creative.
Well you know what? Gone are the days of me having the excuse that I can't be a working artist because I don't have a proper home studio. While I can't give you the full tour of my new and improved home art studio (yet), here is a sneak peek of a part of it...
In coming blog postings, I will be sharing a full tour in addition to the supplies that I have on-hand, the old studio that is now officially the studio supply room, and some of the projects that I have been doing alongside my 4yo daughter (who loves to draw and paint) and my social studies teaching husband (who sometimes likes to draw but loves to sculpt with clay way more).
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