The Importance of a Space of One's Own

Mark Rothko

Jackson Pollock

Lisa Congdon

For the last month I have been doing a fair bit of travelling. I've met old friends and made new ones in Victoria, Langley, Nanaimo and Vancouver. I've visited La Conner Quilt Museum for the first time, where I saw an amazing exhibit of Karen Franzen's, as well as a marvellous collection of antique quilts. And I was treated to a trip to the Schack Gallery in Everett, Washington, where fibre artists from Whidbey Island were exhibiting. While I was away, I have had my studio painted. We live in a 1970's house, and the studio is in the basement. It came complete with wood panelled walls and shag carpet. Now I love wood, but it made it very dark, and painting the walls has made all the difference in the world. Once I saw what a change it made, I was determined that instead of just putting everything back in place where it was, I would go through all my containers and collected papers and artifacts, and only hang onto those things that have significance for me. This process could be called purging, and it feels great. I still have the old carpet, but will get that lifted and replaced with new soon, and then last on the list is hiring an electrician to optimize my lighting. So, long story short, I haven't done a lot of work in the last month, but I am feeling very excited about the possibilities in my new work space. It's important to feel good where you go to create. Rarely will it be perfect, but we are powerfully influenced by our surroundings, so considering what works best for your own creative efforts is huge. I had been mulling over such matters, and then yesterday was introduced to an article that looked at 40 famous people and where they work. Fascinating stuff. Everything from white and pristine to absolute chaos (to me, the viewer, but clearly not to the artist). I've included just a few on this post, but if you're interested in seeing the whole article, this is the link:

David Hockney

Georgia O'Keefe

http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/40-inspiring-workspaces-of-the-famously-creative
I'd be really interested to hear what's important to you in your work space or studio? Happy creating, wherever it is, and whatever you're making!