Art Life Plan Episode 1 - The Myth of the Perfect Studio
Shownotes
What It's About:
In this debut episode, let’s chat about the myth of the "perfect" art studio. We often envision a spacious, well-lit room with high ceilings and state-of-the-art equipment as the ideal creative space. But is such a setting truly essential for artistic success?
Drawing inspiration from renowned artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ed Ruscha, Mark Rothko, and David Hockney—who all began their journeys in humble garage studios—I explore how creativity can flourish in unconventional spaces. It's not about the physical setting but the artist's vision, dedication, and adaptability.
Highlights:
Challenging the notion of the "perfect" studio and its impact on creativity.
Historical examples of artists who thrived in non-traditional workspaces.
Emphasizing the importance of personalizing your creative environment to suit your needs.
Transcription
Welcome to the Art life plan podcast where we're all about art, creativity and living your best life through stories, insights and shared experiences. We'll discuss practical approaches to build a creative life for ourselves and our art practices. All right, let's just jump into it.
Good hello and welcome to Episode One of art life plan podcast. And in today's episode, we're going to discuss the myth of the perfect studio. This is one of those things that has sort of haunted me throughout my entire career and experiences within art, and I thought this would be a really good topic to just get started in. We often imagine our ideal studio space, but I'm wondering, is it really necessary for our artistic success? So that's what we're going to find out in this episode before we dive into the discussion. Let's just take a moment to define what does it actually mean by having the perfect studio? I think for many artists, it might involve a large, well lit room, high ceilings, ample storage, state of the art, equipment. It's the kind of studio we often see in the movies or we imagine in our dreams. But is it really essential to have such a space?
Artists have created incredible works of art throughout history in a wide variety of spaces, from small apartments converted garages from makeshift corners and our shared spaces to outdoor studios. Art has been produced in every nook and cranny imaginable, from an art historical lens.
Some of our key players in art have started from just working in a garage space. And I thought this could be a really interesting starting point, because I know, you know, we tend to just grab the space that we have available. So let's just take a look and see. You know which modern and contemporary artists worked with that? I think the most iconic of these is our friend Andy Warhol, and he started his artistic career from a small garage called the silver factory. This served as a studio. It's a gathering space and hub for creativity and experimentation. Jean Michel Basquiat, initially also started creating art in his mother's garage. He transformed that space into a studio, and he later went on, of course, to achieve great success in the art world. Ed Ruscha, known for his paintings, drawings and photography, began his career in a small garage in LA and he used this space to create his early works, including his early word paintings, before becoming a renowned abstract expressionist painter. Mark Rothko also started his journey in a garage.
Are we noticing a trend here? Everyone? What he did was he transformed the space into a studio where he developed his signature style of his large color field paintings. One more for our history books to look at is the celebrated British artist David Hockney, who's known for his vibrant landscapes and portraits. You guessed it, he had a garage studio in his early years, and this served as his creative sanctuary, where he produced many of his influential works.
These artists demonstrate that creativity and artistic success can thrive in unconventional spaces such as garages, they show that it's not the physical setting that determines the quality of the art, but rather the artist's vision, talent and dedication to their craft. So the question is, what really matters when it comes to the creative process? One aspect to consider is that the perfect Studio can mean different things to different artists. Some of us thrive in a tidy and organized environment. Others of us find inspiration in the midst of chaos. It's important to understand what works best for you as an individual artist, and to tailor your workspace accordingly.
Also, the perfect studio isn't just about the physical attributes, but also the mental and emotional space that it provides. Your studio should be a sanctuary of some sort for you, a place where you can disconnect from the outside world and fully immerse yourself in your creative process. It should also be a reflection of your artistic journey and a space that sparks joy and inspiration. So creating that perfect studio doesn't necessarily mean spending a fortune on top of the line equipment or fancy furnishings, while these things are certainly nice, of course, they aren't a defining factor of artistic success. So many artists have, of course, produced remarkable works using the basic materials simply because their focus is on the ideas and emotions that they want it to convey. Another important aspect is that the perfect studio is not a static concept. As artists, we evolve and change over time. So should our creative spaces? Your studio should be adaptable and flexible and allow for experimentation and growth. So don't be afraid to rearrange, declutter or introduce new elements that stimulate your creativity.
We took a look at this from a historic lens. I'm going to now flip that around and look at it from the personal ones. My studio spaces over the years have varied wildly, initially, starting off just in our dining room when I was growing up, then a small desk in my bedroom. Then you get to college, and then you have maybe a shared space in that classroom. And then in grad school, we were allowed to have our own rooms, and then you could, you know, expand your space. From there, out of school, it really started to vary wildly. I went from garages to basements to bedrooms, and then back and forth and back and forth.
Currently in this new house, I've flipped three times in between the garage to the basement, the garage, the basement, the garage, and, you guessed it, we're back to the basement. And what I have been finding through the years is I'm always looking for this perfect space. This is why I've been, you know, interested in talking about this subject. And sometimes it becomes a point of contention for me, because I almost have a pause point in my work where I'm like, I have to have the perfect desk. The perfect desk does not exist. So what do we do when, you know, these ideals start to fog the brain? You know, how do we keep working even though we wanted x, y and z? So this is something I think we all struggle with as makers, and I opened that dialog up on Instagram so we can have a conversation about how we work there as well.
So how exactly do we make the space that we're currently in work for us? I think one of the keys to making any workspace functional inspiring is the organization of it. Even if you have a limited space, keeping your materials, tools, reference, materials, etc, organized can make a significant difference in your creative process. So to start off, let's assess our needs and prioritize. We need to determine what materials and tools are essential for your practice. We're going to keep those items easily accessible while we find alternative storage solutions for that which we use less often.
I like to use vertical workspace and shelves. There are also well mounted organizers. This is going to help you maximize the use of your available area. You're also going to want to establish designated zones within your workspace, what I find helpful is to assign specific areas for different tasks, such as the drawing area, the painting area, the storage area, the photographing area. You know, places that in your studio have a specific purpose and a role for you know, the creation process. This division is going to help create a sense of order, and it's also going to enable you to transition seamlessly between the different stages of your process, which sometimes I think we can get a little bit hung up on.
Maybe we get, you know, stuck just on the preliminary stages, but we know we need to get some things framed for a show. So having these specific spots available are going to be super helpful. You can also use containers and storage solutions. I am currently using metal shelves with just plastic bins from target with lids, so I can stack them up and keep everything you know, markers with markers, pencils with pencils, etc. What I find help with that is when everything's all together in that bin. It makes it a lot easier to find whenever the Muse and the inspiration strikes.
And I don't know about you, but I have a lot of papers, paperwork references, collage materials everywhere. So whether it's sketches, inspiration images, reference materials, having some sort of method to organize and store them will help you streamline your creative process. You can use folders, binders, digital tools, etc, to help keep everything easily accessible and categorized. At one of my earlier teaching jobs, we had everyone keep a expandable file of design inspiration, and then each folder was like the first one was logos, the second was colors, third type, etc. And then you would always have your designer bin with you for inspiration at any moment during class time.
And one that might be a little tricky for some of us is to keep a clutter free workspace clear surfaces actually can help foster a calmer and more focused mind. So it's nice to be able to regularly declutter your workspace, put away those items that you're not currently using, donate the items that you just will not be using. We know we all have those supplies, so if you're absolutely not going to use it, find a new home for it. A clean and uncluttered space will allow you to fully immerse yourself in your creative endeavors.
And I think this circles back also to knowing your process. I am really messy when I am in the workflow, but one of my you know, the close the loop. When are you closing the loop on your process? When is something done? And then, you know, you can transition to the next when I close my work loop, I start cleaning. So the next time the process starts up, I'm starting with a completely clean slate. So I fluctuate between clutter and cleanliness when it comes to my own practices.
So I think part of this is just knowing what is your work style, and then how can you make the most out of that? And remember, the goal of organizing your workspace is just to create an environment that supports you in your artistic process, and it also will hopefully enhance your artistic productivity. I always tell everyone, experiment. Just experiment. Try different organizational strategies. You know, try different file systems for your inspirations, photograph it and put it on Pinterest. Find what works best for you, because your workspace should reflect your personal style and preferences while also providing a functional and inspiring work atmosphere.
So how exactly do we grow into a new workspace? So the artist's workspace plays a crucial role in the growth and progression from the beginning stages to the more professional routes, the workspace allows room for growth by offering adaptability and flexibility. And as an artist evolves and explores different mediums, techniques and styles, your workspace should be able to accommodate these changes. This can include adjustable furniture, modular storage systems, or versatile layouts that can be reconfigured to suit your ever evolving needs.
I'm also a big fan of you know, we have our set limitations. So how do we work within these do we need the new space, or do we just need to reconfigure it? So when you're, you know, deciding these things for yourself. Keep that in mind also you don't there's a big discussion like, you know, bigger, bigger, bigger, more and more and more. Sometimes that might be the case, but then sometimes it's just a reconfiguring of, you know, what you're currently in, work with, what you have, or when you're at that stage, grow into that new space.
And the growth often involves, you know, experimentation and taking risks. So a well designed workspace is going to provide you the freedom to try these new techniques, new materials and approaches, larger canvases. I know this is always a big one for artists. You know, I want to work big, but what if you're working, you know, at your dining room table? So that can be a little bit tricky. I'm not saying it's not doable, but it can be a little bit you know of a limitation. So having this dedicated area for experimentation, where messiness and exploration is encouraged allows for your artistic growth and discovery of new creative paths.
And as you in your artist career progress, the volume of materials, tools and references do tend to increase, so an organized workspace becomes essential for this workflow and productivity. It's going to allow for easy location of your materials, as well as saving valuable time and energy that can be devoted to your creative pursuits. An artist's body work, as it expands their workspace, can incorporate areas for display. So one of my friends after grad school, she was more advanced in her career, and she actually integrated a small gallery into her space so that, you know, clients could come and look at the work.
And this is something that I always remember, and it is something that I would eventually be interested in growing into, but that was a really nice way to, you know, showcase your work, but also have it on site. Another thing that's nice, if you have a little bit larger space, is hang up the work that you're currently working on, so you can step back and check it out. See it in a line, arrange it in a grid. Is there similarities? Is there differences? That's a really nice way to be able to grow into the next stage of your artistic career.
So sometimes, just being able to step back and see the evolution of your work, it's going to inspire future growth. It's going to provide more insights into your development, and it's also going to maybe give you some motivation to explore new directions your workspace. I'm always an advocate for this should be a source of inspiration for you should reflect your esthetics and stimulate an environment that makes you want to go in and work.
So surround yourself with your work, your reference materials, your objects of inspiration. This could help fuel the creativity and help you push the boundaries of your artistic growth. Another nice thing, which I currently do not have in my own studio, is natural light, natural light, some plants, some elements of nature. Is really nice to contribute to a positive and energizing atmosphere. So this just circles back to while it's not necessary for your productivity, it is a nice to have the artist space should adapt and evolve alongside your creative journey, and it should help provide the necessary tools, organization, inspiration and comfort to facilitate growth from the early stages to the more professional ones.
So by creating this environment of nurturative artistic development, you can continue to push the boundaries, refine your skills and reach new levels of your own personal artistic achievement. So if the perfect studio doesn't necessarily guarantee artistic success, what does ultimately, it's your mindset, the dedication and commitment to your craft, that actually is going to be what truly matters. Ultimately, it's your mindset, your dedication and commitment to your craft that is going to truly matter. It's. About the willingness to push boundaries, to explore new ideas, and also to embrace your creative journey with all of its ups and downs. Your studio is just a physical space. It's your artistic spirit is going to be what brings it to life.
As we wrap up this episode, let's remember that the myth of the perfect studio is just that. It's a myth. The key lies in finding a space that nurtures your creativity, suits your individual needs, and also allows you to fully express yourself as an artist. So whether it's a corner of your bedroom, a shared studio or grand space all of your own, what truly matters is the art that you create and the impact you have on the world you music. Thank you for joining me today on the art life plan podcast.
I hope you found this exploration of the myth of the perfect studio enlightening and inspiring for your practice. Join me next time as we continue to delve into the fascinating world of art creativity, until then, keep pursuing your artistic journey and embracing the possibilities that lie within your workspace you.
Action Items
Experiment with different organizational strategies and find what works best for your personal style and creative process.
Incorporate areas for display and the ability to step back and see the evolution of your work in the studio space as your career progresses.
Aim to create a studio environment that nurtures your artistic development and allows you to fully express yourself as an artist.