Over the years, I have gone through different seasons in life, my work spaces have range between an independent studio, a shared one, a separate space at home, and even creating in my bedroom or living room.
No matter where I was, one thing became obvious pretty soon. Although I have a strict rule of 'a place for everything, and everything in it's place' for my personal items, this rule had somehow managed to escape my work life. I can be compulsive about the direction of tins in the kitchen cupboard and the position of the soap dish but when it came to creating order in my workspace, there never seemed to be any rules.
Part of the problem was I got carried away with buying supplies. If I was interested in a craft or thought of an idea to try, it never occurred to me to think about re-purposing what I had or considering what would happen to those tools and supply beyond the experiment, especially if I decided whatever my latest obsession was wasn't going to go beyond the trial stage.
After 5 years of trying and buying all manner of tools, I ended up with a half a room full of supplies and equipment I wasn't going to use and felt to attached to to give away. Slowly, the clutter began to bring me down and cloud my mind. Although my internal workings can be quite haphazard, I usually require calm, quite and tidiness to produce my best work. So, I took a decision to have a hard think about where i wanted to focus my efforts, give away or sell the things I wouldn't need, mourn the loss and throw myself into creating artwork.
Of course, these things are always easier thought and said than done. In the end, it took almost two years to thin out my supplies. Although I currently work from home, the only thing that gets in the way of my creativity is my mood - no more spending hours looking for a palette knife, resin or an awl.
To help me achieve my zen space, I did the following things:
- Decided to focus on working with acrylic paints, ink and graphite.
- Banned myself from buying experimental supplies for a period of two years. (This was only possible because I already had plenty to work with and had decided to create more sustainably, by recycling everything I could).
- I scoured pinterest and instagram for ideas and inspiration on how to create a work area in a small space.
- Next, I sorted through all of my supplies and waste. Metals off cuts were sent off to be recycled, and other excesses were donated to charities.
- I bought a three-section Ikea IVAR with the fold away table and use the cupboards and shelves to store my supplies. Items were split up into materials - paints, paper, plastics, metal, and by size. Anything that didn't fit had to go away. I used old jars and decoupaged tins as brush and knife holders, shampoo bottles for mixing paint and labelled cardboard boxes to stack loose paper, envelopes and sundries on the top shelf.
- Some 1 x 1.5 inch wooden planks and plywood from Wickes built a 1.2m x 1.8 meter easel which lies almost flat against the wall, saving plenty of space over a shop bought easel which requires a larger and more central space.
- Finally, I treat tidying up as an important part of the creative process - which it is. I put things away at the end of the work period if I can or if that particular job is finished, and make sure to tidy and clean properly at least once a week.
The end result is a tidy workspace in a corner of the room. My work tools have a total footprint of 2.5 square meters, which is roughly a third of what they occupied before. This will be different for everyone and largely dependent on your craft and working style. The main objective here is to get to a place where you can comfortably sit and freely create in your work space.
Good luck and have fun :)
M.