New Year, Renewed Workspace.

Finally, finally, I'm getting it. The having-a-workspace-that-works thing. I will never be a minimalist everything-in-its-place person; to an extent, I welcome clutter into my life. You see, sometimes it's the juxtaposition of things that don't belong together that lights my creative spark.

All of that said, in the last days of 2009 I knew re working my space had to become a priority; I wasn't getting what I needed from it, so I decided to give it some more thought.
Recently, via The Fluent Self, I discovered Inspired Home Office by Jen and I LOVE and totally get what she is doing. I signed up for her newsletter and got her free awesome e-workbook with some really great thoughts. It was definitely a revelation for me.

Here are some things I realized:

1. Having my tall shelf of art supplies right next to my desk was making me feel overwhelmed with possibility and at the same time like my actually workspace was too small.
2. Sitting directly in front of the window makes me a little too curious about what is going on outside.
3. I didn't have a proper chair to sit on because i had raised my desk to standing-hip level (a pattern making habit, but I am not doing enough pattern making to justify this); I was sitting on a bedside table that was not comfortable, had no back support, and put my legs at a height that was just not quite comfortable. Its no wonder I didn't want to spend long periods of time there.
4. While I'm certainly not a monotone, sparse type of person, I actually really benefit from having that as a STARTING point.
5. Most of what I needed to do with the space involved EDITING and rearranging; NOT buying new things or bringing more into the space.
   
6. So, now my desk faces a white wall, I have a proper chair, cushioned, with a back and arm rests; my feet rest comfortably on the floor. Above eye level, I've hung a collection of my favorite pencil drawings; I think of them as my goddesses of inspiration, my muses. They came out of my brain and have wild and unusual and unruly hair and steady gazes. The two large drawings contain metaphors of creation and mechanization, of dropping pretense, of authority.
7. My giant shelf of supplies is against the wall in the corner behind me; there are some bins to the right of me against the wall with the window, but nothing is allowed to go above desk level. I am amazed at how much this small effort to create lots of space in my sight line makes a HUGE difference.
   
8. The corner of the room to the left and behind me is where I keep my gorgeous Singer Machine (which I do use, but not every day) and my wild bulletin board of inspiration and collection, along with that giant box of Yarn (i will say though, that cardboard boxes are gonna need to be the next thing to be eliminated from existence in this space, they raise all kinds of triggers for me about not being rooted to a space.) I can easily shift a few things around from here to make the sewing space functional.

Now I can't seem to get enough of being in this space, and even though it is (and will always be) a work in progress, it is SO much more of what I need. And so now that December is over and a New Year has begun, I am ready to work, to create and to give more. Look forward to sharing it with you.

Comments

[Leslie]

Ooooooh! I am loving the corner of your room with the vintage Singer, board of ideas dress form and Big Box of Yarn. Even if the card board box needs to become a cool basket or something instead. Such an inspiring and happy looking space.
(I kind of want to print this picture and hang it in my work space, I'm loving it so much.)

[Liason]

Yay! thanks Leslie! and YES YES i have been thinking about basket(s) for the yarn. That would look good for sure!

[Leah]

Oh, I just love Jen's work. She's fab. And yes, it's amazing how a little shifting around can make such a huge difference in your space. It always amazes me. Congrats on the movement and feeling of spaciousness!

[Kimbirdy]

I think your environment is SO important! I really need to do some rearranging in my little work space too. And LOVE that sewing machine!

[persephonesawakening]

I feel that all my projects end up as WIPs. BUT, you're right about the box. Maybe a basket would m ake it feel more permanent?

[Jennifer Hofmann]

I don't know how I didn't land here sooner! Late to the party, but BIG on congratulations for your insights and shifts. Amazing transformation - you are SO worth it!

Thank you so much for the mention!

Warmly,
Jennifer