Wednesday, April 02, 2008

:studio walls:

I’ve been cleaning out the studio (yes, again - do I seem to spend more time tidying it than making things in it?) But this time it is a ‘hardcore’ sort-out/clean. I’ve had a big rethink about what I want to use it for, the best way to arrange it, and how to organise it so I get more done and spend less time looking for stuff!

I need a certain amount of happy mess to be creative, but too often it tips over into unproductive chaos.

I seem to talk about this stuff a lot, don’t I? Cleaning, sorting etc - I guess it is an ongoing thing with me - how to both love opshopping and gleaning and finding, to love creative clutter AND at the same time to be organised and calm about it. It seems other people in blogland manage it - so why do I struggle? Or maybe they just keep the messes quiet - heh.

Anyway - as part of this big clean-up - I’m taking everything down off the walls and starting again - so I wanted to share some pictures of a few bits of my ‘inspiration wall’ before it disappeared.

I’d love to hear about your relationships with your creative spaces, too - if you feel like sharing. Any tips for keeping on top of it all?

Washing baskets can never be underestimated. Fill ‘em up with your stuff and ta-da! any room is tidy in an instant. Of course, it’s then hard to find anything still but hey, you can’t win them all.

I struggle with this all the time too. I have shelves, a manrobe (love that word), wire baskets, plastic boxes, file cabinets, more shelves, a dressing table, a clothes rack, 3 tables and still I just pull everything out and leave things half finished. I never allocate a regular time to putting away. I think that is the main tip from this ramble. Perhaps Friday is tidy day?

I was just thinking about how my ‘creative space’ is moveable at the moment. We have an ‘office’ at home but with Tallulah around I can’t really work there (she doesn’t quite understand closed doors yet) so every Wednesday I put my laptop in my school bag and go to the public library or the university library. I carry around my journals (multiple because I like to keep different projects separate so they don’t infect each other teeheee) and the books that I’m using at the moment and most importantly all my music and my head-phones.

It seems to go okay but I am looking forward to anchoring myself somewhere. Teehee.

Thanks for the blog again Helen. Oh, and I heard one of your stories on National Radio the other day and it was grand.

Have fun
Love
pipX

I too always seem to be sorting my ‘studio’ out more than I seem to be working in it.
I share my space with Abraham, but he keeps him things pretty much to himself to be truthful, while mine seems to fill up my space and flow into his as well.
I have floor to ceiling shelves, more shelves, stacked plastic 80L bins, stacked smaller bins, little cubby bins on shelves, a cupboard, wire drawers, a cutting table, another table and a computer desk. oh and multitudes of banana boxes. *blush* it swallows me whole everytime I walk into the studio and sometimes thats inspiring but some days its just plain off putting.
I try to keep things sorted and in their places and relatively tidy, but i’m looking for the ‘key’ too. So really this comment is no help to you at all, but rather a ‘I’m right there with you, sister!’. I’m looking fwd to see what other people have to say.

That IS helpful, Rhiannon - I’m glad I’m not alone.

I remember Melissa posted a photo of her fabric stash spilling off the shelves once - and I found that comforting, too! Hee.

Having less to begin with is a good start and I have gotten rid of lots with the swap and gala days and things we’ve had lately.

It’s all food for thought - Emma’s idea of toting projects around the house in laundry baskets makes sense - a laundry basket would hold everything you need and then you could stash it away easily...?

Thanks for everyone’s comments so far!

I have just got a new space to work in and it’s awesome .... BUT.....I know that soon there is going to be everything everywhere despite my best intentions.  I think I never tidy up after me until things get desparate and I never have just one project.  Sorry absolutely no help at all.  I thought there may be some magic answers.

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