Maybe it is the change of seasons, but I have had the urge to simplify my studio space. I have collected:
- paints
- pencils, pens
- markers
- cutting tools
- mark making tools
- stencils
- brushes, sponges
- books, papers
- brayers and inks
I want to:
- go through my stuff
- keep what I love and use
- let go of the rest, that includes the “should” keep and “might use someday”
Now it has taken years to collect all this stuff, so I am going to be patient and give myself plenty of time to sort through it and let go of what I no longer want.
As a mixed media artist, I go through phases and try out different techniques and tools. Some processes I like and keep and others while it was fun to try, I know it will not be part of my daily process.
I couple of ways I approach the process:
- Sit in my studio and look around. Notice what inspired me and what drags me down.
- Clean my main worktable. That gets me feeling good quickly
- Sort and purge stuff that is stored under tables. This is the stuff that I have not used in a while, so it must not be that important to me. This also creates “new” space to store stuff that I do use.
- Sort a little each day
- Take breaks and acknowledge the process that I have made
- Take pictures to document the process
- Even 5 or 10 minutes of sorting will create improvement
I hope you find some of these ideas helpful. Enjoy your studio!!!
Get support from an online class. Check out the current offerings on the printmaking workshop page.