I have a studio space.
It may not seem like a big deal but, for me, it's huge - it's everything.
It wasn't always the case that I had a real space to work in. Oh, sure, I had an easel and my supplies neatly tucked into drawers and a drawing table I could share with my husband but I didn't have a space of my own. I didn't have a place to lay out my materials and keep them out or a place to leave work in progress displayed so i could think over what my next steps might be. I couldn't tack up inspiring bits of art or photographs or little pieces of nature that inspire me. I didn't have light.
Believe it or not, in my previous apartment, I painted in the kitchen of all places. I can tell you, there is nothing more depressing (at least it was for me). Maybe it was the florescent-y light overhead or that my painting spot was the thoroughfare between the living room and the bathroom. But, for an artist suffering from long bouts of creative blocks, it was deadly. Frankly, I pretty much stopped working. Maybe it's just me but I think where an artist does her work is crucial. We are people who need to be surrounded by things that visually stimulate us (a pantry and the litter box don't count). We need, well, we need a little romance in our work space.
It took me a long time to make the connection between my lack of work and my lack of space.
I think this is a common problem for artist living in the small, cramped apartments of New York. Apartments here are so expensive - even if it's just one room that houses your bed, your kitchen and a door leading to a tiny bathroom. It can be next to impossible to afford a place to live in with space leftover to accommodate your artwork.
I also realize that it's not just city dwellers who struggle with this. I have heard from other friends and relatives about the struggle to find a place to call their own and how detrimental it has been to their work.
If I can pass along one thing to other artists out there (especially those who are struggling with getting things done) - it's that you have to create a space... any space. Maybe that means sacrificing the spare bedroom or carving out a corner of the dining room. Even if you have to move to an area that makes your commute to work a little longer (but gets you that cheaper rent) like we did... it's worth it. Finding a place/space for your work often means sacrificing something else (whether it's a room, a corner, a neighborhood, or your time) but what will you value more when you look back at your life?
Now get to work :)
-Ereisa
