Looking back through my life, I have almost always had a designated creative space of my own. The first one I remember was a bedroom with a big built-in desk. When we moved to this house my mother specifically wanted me to have this room so that I had space to create. I was in the 4th grade.
Having a designated creative space is one of the ways we set ourselves up to be successful. Through the years my spaces have consistently had a minimum of four things: good lighting, a design wall, a cutting table and a sewing machine that is always out and ready to sew! My spaces have been in bedrooms, basements, and even part of the family room. My current space, pictured above, is an 800 square foot room over the garage with a 10 foot ceiling and full spectrum lighting. However, I seem to be outgrowing this space.
As I was considering how I might be able to enlarge my studio, I quickly realized an addition was not possible. Plus I realized that I wanted an opportunity to interact more with like minded people. I began dreaming of a space where I could have critique gatherings and possibly teach. A bigger and nicer dye studio would also be great. Then I learned that a commercial building in my small town had come onto the market. It is 100 years old with two stories, each having 20 foot ceilings. It also has a one story storage area with natural light that is nearly 800 square feet — a possible dye studio/teaching space?
So the question is how much do I believe in myself? How much am I willing to invest in myself? Am I willing to take the risk?
Stayed tuned …
What is your creative space like? How are you setting yourself up to be successful? What barriers can you remove to enable yourself to create move? How much are you willing to invest in yourself?