studio joy

One thing that brings me joy each and every single day is my studio. I spend some time working here just about every day and on the days I'm not working I like to come in and enjoy being in my happy place. It is certainly not perfect. It's a work in progress and is sometimes a bit chaotic, but things don't need to be perfect (or anywhere near perfect) to bring me joy.

Do you want to come in and I'll show you around? I've been resisting because of the fact that it's far from picture perfect, but why should we hide what a creative life really looks like?

Just walking in the doorway makes me happy. It's a bit of a tight squeeze. That's the back of my desk to the left. Paper patchwork using mostly Amy Butler scrapbook papers (you can read how I did it here). It makes me happy every time I see it. As does what's on top.

I love my flying pigs (I've fantasized about having my own flying pig since I was a child). To me they are pure joy, silly as that may be.

In the center of my studio is my painting table.

It also happens to be my sewing table, though I do far less sewing than painting. The table is from Ikea and is supposed to be a dining table, probably for extra seating as both ends of the top fold down leaving a skinny set of drawers (there are drawers on each side). It makes for a perfect work space and if I need room on the floor I can fold it up and move it out of the way.

My other table is a door.

It's where I have my cutting mat and is a useful work surface for laying anything out. Or good for letting things dry (in the top photo you might be able to tell that I have it covered with calendar pages waiting to dry and be trimmed). It's often a bit cluttered, but I like having things out so I can see them (and not forget about them). Below I have less than pretty storage (eventually I'll upgrade from plastic bins... but I'm of the mind that you use what you have) and writing this I just had the brainstorm of making a skirt to hide what's beneath. I'll keep you updated on that front.

Storage on the other side of the room is a work in progress, too.

Below the wall shelves (not the most practical of storage options, but pretty and filled with all sorts of bits that make me happy) is a wooden crate on top of filing boxes (which, thankfully, I'm not showing you). I have ideas for fixing this corner to make it more workable. My large format photo printer also lives here, right now on the floor, poor thing). I guess all of work is a life in progress. Or at least for me it is.

Not that I spend much time paying attention to my less than attractive storage. I'm constantly distracted by the plants in the window.

My beloved oxalis and my phalaenopsis collection. Can you see all the flower stalks? I check them daily, not that most of them are near to opening. Most are just like skinny fingers reaching from the plants, slowly growing, forming buds. Their mere presence and their promise make me so happy.

Turning back to the other side of the room there's my desk cabinet again. I use this side as a sort of inspiration board.

Alas, my vintage typewriter table now houses an ugly printer and not my vintage typewriter. I guess the printer is more practical, but I do miss the typewriter. The door is to a closet. Which really could be organized better. Perhaps with shelves it could make a good spot for my printers. Hmmm... something to think about.

And that's about it. Thanks for letting me share my creative space. I'd love to hear about your creative space or your favorite storage solutions or the plants you have that are just about to bloom...  or anything that my post has sparked, whatever is bringing you joy right now.