Thursday, April 2, 2009

Studio space. A place to unleash and create....



If you have read this blog for awhile....
You will know that I mention the importance of your studio space.
A place to sit, create, ponder, hide,take refuge from the world,
blog, journal, inspire, test, sharpen skills, sometimes mourn and remember.
Its your nook of salvation for some.
Studio space or create space. Changes vastly for everyone.
Certain magazines lately get under my skin. I think its great to
highlight the big players of the crafting and art world.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to slam.
Your awesome to have such a studio.
Many of you -have earned it, grown with it, and fought for it.
But the majority does not have a crafting space that is an extra barn outside,
a top loft that can be spared, a redone attic at a mighty cost.
For some individuals, studio space is the same corner of a
scrapbook store every Friday night at a crop.
For others its that extra room in the back of the house.
An extra space between the cars in the garage.
The kitchen table when everyone has gone to sleep.
Most often it can viewed as a burden by other household members.
I remember setting up artistic camp several times in an extra closet.
It was tight, kinda creepy, but if its what you need -you make it happen.
Once you have had a studio- it changes you.
A small taste of that creative freedom-you will crave a little more all the time.

The other day I was hanging with a certain Mystic Paper friend.
We were looking at metal tools and goodies.
She had mentioned the craving for a bench grinder.
It got me thinking.
I love bench grinders.
The strange passions of an altered artist.
I then told her about when I was a kid-
My brothers and I used my step dad's bench grinder in the garage to
make wooden swords out of 2 x 4 posts.
Not really what the grinder was meant for.
However it was damn cool at the time.
We opened the garage and had the neighborhood kids gather around as
we fashioned broadswords, daggers, guns,
and various weapons for neighborhood battles to come.
My step dad -a pretty even keel dude.
Came home one day to find us
using his tools to fashion such items.
It was our habit to have things cleaned up before he got home from work.
We weren't always sure how he would react to us using
his tools for the making of such things.
On this day (to our surprise) he was cool.
He even changed his clothes and then came out and showed
us several ways to better the process without loosing a finger.

Growing up we always had a garage full of tools and goods.
When my grandfather died we gained even more tools.
He was a smith in three trades. Lots of tools.
I remember my brothers and I always using the garage as an early studio.
It was a place where we could use these tools for
fashioning whatever our hearts desired.

At times we would work on projects together.
Four of us. With a few adopted neighborhood kids coming and going.
We built tree house, rockets, fireworks, cardboard castles, fishing poles,
reconstructed and fixed bikes, made mini cities and cars, science projects,
soapbox derby's, lemonade stands, the list goes on.
As we got older these creations and projects turned into bikes, mopeds, cars,
a boxing gym, computers, paint studio, skateboard repair shop,
a skateboard ramp factory,a sound studio, a theater, etc.
The garage and all its tools evolved as we did.
Later tools would come and go.
Some would get stolen, broken, and eventually parcelled out.
Our parents would divorce.
The garage would be no more.

When looking back I thank my parents for making sure that us kids
always had such a space growing up.
We were extremely lucky.
A place where we could go.
Be alone, or share as a group.
A place where we could practice and develop our talents.
Make mistakes.
Learn from those mistakes. Learn to trust ourselves.
It was my first studio.
When I look at all my brothers now.
We all have studios.
Some bigger than others.
But we all have that place in our lives.

Thanks for reading.
Talk more soon.

13 comments:

CeCe said...

Thanks to you, some of my favorite studio space is anywhere my little lap top computer is so I can visit my friends in the blogging world! Thank you for posting so I could visit!

Jack and Cat Curio said...

Thanks for reading and sharing CeCe.

lifeheARTist said...

Aww! I'm touched by your story! It really jogged a few memories of my growing up/creative spaces and I'm not ashamed to admit I did the "closet" studio too! : ) It was wicked cool and with my curtain closure I felt somewhat like the "wizard"...heehee! I also remembered as a kid having a very tall bed. I would drape a sheet over one side, pull my lamp underneath (probably not the safest thing to do) and create my masterpieces for hours. Everyone needs that *place*; however big or small. My daughter creates art forts... can be a total mess but I would never discourage that sanctuary of hers. Great post!

Robin said...

Thanks for the great post...so heartfelt and sincere! Also thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment...much appreciated!

Take Care - Robin

Unknown said...

Studios-All of it so true! We had an enclosed porch used for parties, etc., during high school. Later it became Mom's sewing room and a catch all. Always fun for finding treasures.
It was too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer but Mom made many beautiful bride's dresses in there.
My family didn't get that I had to have a studio when I looked for a house for the Chicklet and I.
It's taken this long but I think they get it now.
M

tanya watts said...

i'm pretty quiet after your post...

big hug mike!

Inkqueen said...

Incredible Post. So true about the studio space. I have set up in a closet in a few places before. Thanks for sharing!

kim hesson said...

I enjoyed reading this! It brought back memories of the many places I've created in the past! Guess it's important that we just create and not really where we are creating! Also made me realize that I'm glad I've made those spaces for my kiddos to create to their hearts content!

Judy Wood said...

when i was much younger my studio was a big box of crayons and some paper my grandmother sent me, she worked at an envelope company and we got the remains of the window cut out for large envelopes, nice thick paper to draw, fold, create... i remember sitting RIGHT IN FRONT of the tv on saturday mornings, with the volume on really low, so i could have my 'alone time', didn't want to wake or bother anyone who wanted to sleep in, sometimes my little black dog would curl up in my lap while i was drawing... fun times. now i've moved on to a larger studio in my home, no dog tho... still get up early on a saturday morning, trying not to wake anyone wanting to sleep in, but here he sits beside me while i respond to your wonderful blog... cozy here in my studio... i wonder what i'll create today? thanks for sharing your story.

Anonymous said...

wow, thank you so much for sharing this anecdote, as it really affirms for me the importance of this sort of thing, in terms of how I raise our daughter...
...And the post also comes very timely, as I myself have just set up my new studio space!
Got some pics of the before and after on my blog :)
Cheers and happy weekend from Spain!
lisa

Aimee said...

Mike, I really enjoy seeing the places others work in, create in...I have a little corner of the basement...started with a little card table and working out of a Crop In Style XXl tote, graduated to the smallerst computer armoire evah, and now have my corner, which I adore...but I do feel the twinge sometimes when I see these GORGEOUS spaces...mine is very utilitatian for sure.

I loved your post. My mom was the crafty type but also not very...ummmm...nice so my creating was always done at school. I am very thankful to have the space I have now! I HAVE worked hard and fought hard for it, and it is very precious to me,

Love ya
Aimee

Zinnia's on Melrose said...

Great post! And lucky us, you still have all 10 fingers! hee hee!
Must see art, though! I miss it!
Hugs, Tricia

Jenna said...

I so agree about the 'W.A.C.' magazines and the like-If i'm lucky to gather 20 minutes for crafting, it's usually standing up at the countertop in my hallway! But, the bottom line is to make do with what we have, right? Thanks for the recent posts!

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More