Studio Challenge – Week 3

Joshua Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus from The Minimalists blog, posit that organizing is well-planned hoarding. It’s just organized hoarding. If we don’t do the work to ask questions about whether we truly need and use something, and about what it means to us to have it in terms of preserving illusions about ourselves, etc., we won’t have progressed. We will find ourselves back in the same ‘I need to declutter’ situation because we haven’t changed our vision of who we are and who we want to become.

Once the excess stuff is out of the way, staying organized with what’s left is easier.

This week we’ll continue sorting and weeding artwork and materials. Now we’ll add reference materials and business/support records to the mix. We’ll also begin to take a look at considerations for creating a space that works for you.

So, more yard work. Time to weed our files!

 

I must say that weeding records is my least favorite task (except maybe doing my taxes).

We all collect a lot of ideas and have different forms/receptacles for saving them. We might use sketchbooks, clipping files, iPads, etc. I have two big file cabinets and several boxes and piles of paper files. Lots of sketchbooks barely used. Files of clippings. And my still life cabinets.

Art related references include still life props, printed materials, studies, pics and other reference material, sketchbooks, etc. whether on computer or hard-copy. This also includes books and magazines. (This category is for you Marlies!) Obviously, you need to keep items that are important for your work.

You also might consider keeping copies of materials that refer to items in your resume, such as show invitations, award certificates, etc. They are ‘proof’ of your accomplishments. Some artists choose to store them in binders which are available to see in their studios or during their shows.

Going through your art related reference material can be a big stimulus to making new art. We forget all the ideas we’ve had or the bits of information or images we wanted to use in our work.

Business references can include administrative files, legal records, email and electronic files. The electronic category could be a challenge on its own. If it’s too much, leave it for another time. With cloud storage, there’s likely to be an avalanche of files.

Some records you need to keep for a long time, while others you can toss right away. The web has several sites that list the appropriate time to keep particular records and when they can be disposed of. This can vary by country so look up the laws pertaining to where you live.

 

Some Considerations for Organizing 

Now that you’ve done most of the sorting and weeding in your studio and disposed of unwanted items, you’re left with a pile of things that need a home. Before you rush out to the Container Store, consider how you’ll be using the items in the space. Then you will better know how to organize it.

SPACE, PROXIMITY

First how much and what kind of space do you need to create the work?

What kinds of changes can you make, even slight changes to make your space work better for you?

Think about where you have things – are they in the most convenient spots?

If you do free up some space, how is the best way to use it/

My desk ends up being a catch-all when I want to prep for my class I just pile things there. Do I really use the printer? Can I utilize the shelving better?

What things to I want to keep handy and what things are there that I don’t need nearby?

What do you need to put away and what things do you need to have in plain sight?

INSPIRATION

A few years ago, when I did a major renovation of my studio space (including putting insulation in the walls), I hid all of the still life materials, bird nests, and trinkets I had lying around. The finished space was minimal and pristine. (Well, as pristine as a garage can be). Newly painted walls, surfaces clear and ready to work, and furniture in its place.  My studio was a blank canvas waiting to be filled so to speak.

But here’s the rub. I couldn’t do a thing. I couldn’t get started on any artwork. It was too sterile. It was like staring at a white canvas when you don’t have any idea of where to begin. I realized I needed a certain amount of objects in the space for inspiration. Much of my inspiration comes from items or objects glanced while doing something else.  So, I put stuff out again and problem solved.  The key is to know which are the right objects, along with how much to have out and how much to hide. Because the other extreme, having too many interesting things around, can paralyze us with too many ideas and make us feel overwhelmed and like we don’t know where to begin. 

So regarding what gets left out in the studio, I find it helps me to:

• Have all the needed items for a project out where I can see them and work on more than one thing at a time. So if I get stuck on one thing or it needs to dry before I can continue, I can switch to something else
• See the blank canvases that I want to create by a particular deadline. It helps me stay on track time-wise. So I hang them on the wall and watch them fill up with paint.
• Put away or hide things I don’t want to spend time on at that point so as not to be distracted.

Figure out what works for you, what is efficient and what level of creative chaos you need to function well. Spend time trying out different arrangements and make changes as you discover you need them.

Share your insights on the Studio Heaven Facebook group.