A case in point
For years I wanted a place where I could make art without having to clean paint off furniture, flooring, or fur babies. After Dear Husband (DH) and I cleaned out our basement in the summer of 2019, I claimed one of its walls as the anchor for my art space.
Setting it up triggered three questions that have had ever-evolving answers:
What do I want to create, specifically? (Knowing what you want to express can help.)
Which tools and supplies should I use? (This can be an expensive question to answer—ask me how I know :-).)
How do I organize my tools and supplies to be conveniently within reach, like those a surgeon needs during an operation? (Short of hiring my own assistant to hand them to me.)
Is getting organized just a “respectable” form of procrastination?
It can be. But in trying out my art desks, I discovered I needed:
More electrical outlets (for tools and the items in the next two bullets).
Another desk devoted to painting with overhead lighting.
A space heater to take off the chill on cold winter nights.
Most of all, though, my supplies were too scattered, and my only water source was the jugs I filled and emptied at the kitchen sink upstairs. This did wonders for my step count and cardiovascular health (climbing the stairs) but not so much for my art practice.
I didn’t let those things stop me from my watercolor journey. But it seemed I spent most of my time trying to find my supplies and dealing with water.
Fortunately, over the last two years, DH took care of all the above items except the supplies issue. That I have had to solve for myself.
Having tools versus using them correctly
Have you ever spent (way too much) time online looking at the spaces of people who create what you’re creating? For example, watercolor artist studios can be pristine or looked totally lived in. Either way, it’s hard to tell how a setup will work for you.
Even if you’re watching a video of the artist working in the space, key details are often left out in the interest of brevity. Or the artist isn’t aware that something is an issue.
My pet peeve is the water jar is always out of camera range. You see only the brush tip refreshed with paint, having no idea how the artist used the water, mixing trays, and colors to get there.
The epiphany that led to starting this blog
Recently I realized that everything doesn’t need to be organized perfectly, just enough to meet the particular need. Some tasks are done all the time, some part of the time, and some once in a while.
That led me to thinking about different types of human activities and how they relate to creativity:
Habits, routines, and rituals: Each has one or more well-defined steps; results in a defined, specific outcome; and occurs at a certain time or place or because of a specific trigger.
Practices, processes, and projects: These also may be driven by the desire for a specific outcome. But whether, when, and how that outcome is achieved can vary each time the activity takes place.
Each type of creative outlet requires its own typical set of these activities. It’s a big relief to know this because then you can handle your energy accordingly.
I know this is still vague, but hang in there with me
Rather than wait until I have all this “figured out,” I decided to finally start this blog and work it out as I go. Stay tuned.
And I hope to get your thoughts and ideas on this as well, Gentle Reader. I will open up the Comments section soon.
PS Visit my About page for more info.