This Weeks Theme is “Sacred Space”

I’m really excited to share the ‘before and after’ photos of my little home studio with you! This space has already *completely transformed my life, because no matter what time of night or day it is, I can go in, close the door and work or play as I desire. This is a HUGE deal for me because prior to having this space, I was pretty limited to working between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sometimes, the urge doesn’t strike ’till six p.m., though, know what I mean?

This room = freedom. Here’s the ‘before’:

And here’s the ‘after’:

Musings

This week was stellar in all ways. I remained an ex-smoker, I started working on getting fit, I made a metric butt tonne of art, and I got to work out of my own space. I found myself more able to wander off and do the classwork I was feeling like doing in the evenings (which is when I am most inclined to play), and as a result, I’m actually keeping up with most of the things I signed up before the year began. *EXCITING!*

Not everyone gets to have their own room, though, and I’m super conscious of that as I share these photographs. In Boot Camp, we talk a lot about all the reasons we have for not creating, and I’m pretty sure that not having room is up there as a top five reason, if not top three.

There are needs that must come before our desire to create. We have to be able to pay the bills before we can buy fluid acrylics. We have to fulfill our roles as parent or spouse *as well as* taking time to indulge in making art. We have to live with the room we’ve got.

I’m painfully, painfully aware of this and empathetic about it. I was a single mom for a lot of years. For the last ten, I’ve not been single, but I have been surrounded by teens verging on adulthood in a tiny two bedroom house with an unlivable basement. Space was at a premium when I first started making art, so I set up a basket under the coffee table and made art in front of the t.v. Time was also at a premium, so I adjusted accordingly.

Could I have done what I do now with the space and time I had then? No effin’ way. There’s just no way. But I did what I could and that was just enough to feed my soul, nourish my confidence, and take me from not knowing how to draw anything to making faces and creating richly textured backgrounds.

Space is sacred. Every little bit of it that we can eke out is absolutely sacred. I’m so grateful for my space that I’ve established a little ritual to honour it. Before I sit down to work or play, I light a candle and take a few deep breaths. As I’m doing this, I feel myself expanding a little bit, as though my ‘capitol S Self’ can stretch out a little bit and take up more space. Then, I make a holy mess.

When I’m done, I clean. I know this is a drag for some, and I know that some work best in chaos, but I need a clean, organized space or I don’t feel expansive or serene enough to really go deep in my journaling. So I put everything away. Sometimes, I even empty out my water jar and clean my brushes. I snuff the candle and just stand there in my room for a little while, feeling the gratitude.

My hope is that I’ll continue to feel that gratitude and that I won’t take this lovely little spot for granted.

My Week In Art

Top Left: Close up of my Monday Spread. Top Right: Close up of my Monday Spread. Bottom Left: MDS. Bottom Right: Completed Spread.

Top left: Soulistry With Effy 2.0 #3. Top Right: Background for The Red Madonna painting for January 2013. Bottom Left: Expressive self portrait in my Dylusions journal (in progress). Bottom Right: Macro of the texture in the image top left.

(To see me make some of these spreads live, I welcome you to join me for Book of Days Premium where I record video for you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and deliver it to you every single week!)

Your Week In Art!

I would love to see photos of what you got up to this week, and if you fancy playing along with me, your challenge this week is to journal about space & time.  Feel free to come hang out in Wild Soul Arts if you’re looking for a place to play and share!

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Resources I’m Digging

I honestly didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore the Interwebs this week, but I am really happy to see one of my student’s busting out all over the place! Kelly Hoernig is teaching a Steampunk Series, and I am signed up for it! I love Kelly’s style, and you will, too.

I bought a Gelli Plate from The Art House Studio Store on Saturday, and though I haven’t played with it yet, I found this video incredibly helpful. (Thank you Christy!)

PUFFIN ~ A free web browser for iPad appears to eliminate the issue with Vimeo videos stalling at about the 20 minute mark! Crazy excited about this, as I have an iPad now and that bug was driving me CRAZY! (Thank you Tam!!)

Music I’m Listening To

Jewel ~ Absence of Fear

Jackson Browne ~ Alive In The World

Wendy Rule ~ Open My Senses

Books I’m Reading

I’m still working on Lasher.

I’m also neck deep in the Gaian Soul Tarot Circle because those folks rocks my socks off.

And that’s all she wrote for now. See you next week!

xo

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