While browsing through lots of lovely craft blogs I always see pictures of amazingly tidy studios that are really well organised and beautifully quirky. I seem to be lacking the gene that the rest of my family inherited to make them neat freaks. When I visit my sisters houses they are the kind of people who apologise for the mess when the place looks immaculate. I on the other hand have a large propensity towards messiness which I fail endlessly at reining in.
The prime example of this at the moment is my studio. A few months ago the lovely Claire-Ann came and did some work experience and did an amazing job sprucing up my work space on her last day. She is one of those people who loves tidying things, so messy me and neat Claire were a match made in heaven that week. For a couple of months I managed to keep things fairly well in order until my large delivery of supplies arrived and then all hell broke loose.
The crazy thing is that there are going to be big changes in my studio in a couple of months. My lovely boyfriend John is moving to Cork for a year to do a masters in archaeology so that means I'll have to move into my studio and rent out our bedroom!!! This means sleeping and working in the same room for a year, nightmare I know! I'm gonna have to pare back lots of my materials and get really organised if I am to survive that year. I know lots of people work around having small work spaces, but I've been spoiled with my beautiful work space for so long it will be hard to change back. Luckily I'm not one of those girls that has lots of clothes and accessories, a small wardrobe and chest of drawers will do fine for my own clothes. I'm far more concerned about maximising my crafting space. I keep telling myself 'it's only 12 months, it's only 12 months'. In other preparations for Johns big move I've started doing the market trip by myself, so I get used to it by the time he is gone. Weirdly I think John is finding this stranger than me. Even though he hated having to wheel down my crazy market trolley for years, now that he's not doing it he says he feels unneeded...men, they're crazy!
Anyhow I thought I would share some pictures of my demented studio in a bid to shame myself into tidying it up....here's hoping it has some effect!
Lets have a national "clean your studio" day!!! I'm hitting mine tonight!! :(
ReplyDeleteI'll happily come help you!! You make the tea and I'll bring the bikkies! (I'm serious!)
I can help too :)
ReplyDeleteI need to do mine too. Let's synchronise and report back in two days ;)
ReplyDeleteRuth it sounds like you'll be dealing with lots of changes over the next while, but I'm sure you'll be fine :) You'll have a "bijou" workspace, how bohemian!
Great to hear that John is doing a masters that he will love. I'm sure you'll miss him though. Why don't you have an 'organise my craft space' party.....invite people over and then when the space is all tidied up order in pizza and have a few glasses of wine or whatever you fancy. I'm such a tidyness nerd that I'd love a party like that!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of organising, but I admit, it's easier to tackle other peoples spaces than your own.
ReplyDeleteI think that looks like a wonderfully inspiring space to work in, mess and all!
every artist has a mess so don't worry
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your lovely words of encouragement, I think I'll break the back of it soon, and clear out lots of stuff. But when it comes to the big clean in two months I might just have a tidying party, great idea guys.
ReplyDeleteYep lots of changes, but we've got a really strong relationship so I know we can get through it. It will be weird not to wake up beside him though, we've been living together for 3 years, only 3 months into our relationship he moved in. ...it's only for 1 year though