Experiencing Joy Through Art

   Good morning and Happy Friday! It's always great to spend this time with you on my blog. Today I wanted to touch on a topic that seems to be surrounded by some myths…that artists are by nature disorganized and their studios look like a whirlwind of papers supplies and paint gobs everywhere.

   This is a “typical artist studio” that is usually shown in movies or TV shows and so is perpetuated in the mind of the public. However in reality having a clean organized studio can go a long way to boosting your creativity and helping you work better. Clutter and disorganization can be a real deterrent to artistic productivity despite how romantic it looks in the stories. Just a little time to clean your studio after each work day can make a huge difference.

   I admit I am somewhat of a neat freak in all aspects of my life, so there might be something to be said for a little clutter to make things more homey, but if your studio is so disorganized and cluttered that you either can’t find what you need or are forced to grab whatever you can find on top even though it might not be the best material for the job, then cleaning your studio is probably necessary. In my own personal space, I like to keep things very clean and have a spot for everything I use.

   You can buy inexpensive plastic storage bins or drawer units from stores like Target or Walmart. There’s no need to spend tons of money on special art studio furniture if that is not in your budget. I have several of these plastic drawer units from Target to hold my oil paints as well as drawing materials and paper. I built my own pastel boxes out of thick mat board and not only did that save money, but I was able to make them the exact size I needed to hold my pastels. You can use old cleaned mayonnaise or mason jars to hold your brushes. 

   There’s a kind of pleasure I get from cleaning up at the end of a day of working on my art…knowing that everything is back in its place, my brushes are washed and ready for the next time. Then, when I go back to paint again, I can find exactly what I need quickly with no fuss or wasted time. 

I use these inexpensive plastic drawer units from Target to hold oil paints.

   If it is at all possible for you, try to have a space in your home that is a dedicated studio…doing that can make a huge difference! Even if it is just a corner in a basement, having an area where you art stuff is always set up and ready to go is extremely helpful. Some of you like me may already have very clean studios. If your art space could use some TLC, try keeping it really neat and clean for a month and see if doesn't help you work better!