Thanks for these suggestions! I definitely need to focus on the tangible artifacts instead of digital ones. For space, I have a dedicated studio space, but I’ve found I have to actually make more of an effort to allow “making art” to take place anywhere and everywhere. I have little piles of art supplies in different parts of my house. If I kept it to the studio, I found it too easy to just not go there as an excuse that I can’t do anything creative unless I am in the studio. I have to trick myself into not making excuses like “it’s too far to go downstairs” which it is decidedly not. “Oh, I should stay upstairs and make dinner soon.” If I have some sketchbooks and pens around here and there, I can just grab them and begrudgingly start something. And then, then, I don’t want to stop! And no one gets dinner 😊 but I’ve made some art!
I am the same! But i still manage to trick myself out of doing the thing, bc the ONE supply i would need is not where i am at the moment 🤪
And sometimes it is really unnerving, that i have to carry the supplies from here to there. I should buy a second set of e.g. watercolors for my home, bc i really hate to move it all the time. And i equallly hate it, to not have them around whenever there's a sudden urge to paint 😅
What i have always with me wherever i am, is a small bag of coloured pencils and a sketchbook. I often draw in cafés, the tram or in the waiting room at the doctors ...
But for concentrated work i have to be in my studio.
Thank you for sharing these great tips, Jacob! I’m blessed to have a designated room for my studio, but I still work on my kitchen table often! I need to make my studio more inviting and inspiring so I want to be there. Getting ready to tackle declutterring, organizing, and cleaning my studio this weekend!
That’s huge! I (like many artist types) have a clutter problem. Books strewn about, pencils, scraps of papers. I don’t declutter enough - but when I do, it really helps. Think having less to-dos on that front helps w having mental room to make stuff. Good luck!!!
These are so great Jacob! We are about to move in to a new house and for the first time in my life I will have a studio of my own, so your first hack is a good one! They are all so good and make so much sense and I am going to take them all into my new studio.
Thank you for the tips, Jacob. I have a dedicated studio space that I strictly use only for work. The moment I step into it, I too am someone on a mission. But sometimes I feel like my studio is too limiting for my mind and so I change my workplace. I go to the kitchen or the living and work there. Helps alot. Gives me a boost. Then after a day I am back to the studio, trying to conquer the world ;)
Sure thing, Nafisa. That’s a good tip! It can start to feel restrictive or too work-like. Change of scenery and energy is a good idea. I have a friend who likes to work in a coffee shop to change things up.
I love all of these but the bit about drawing with the sketch next to you rather than on top feels like a game changer! I like my finals to be really shape-driven and it feels constrictive and counter intuitive to be tracing over sketches that don't have that same feel! Going to give that a go!!
It’s a bit like tight rope walking without a net at first! And I felt like quitting mid way a couple of times - BUT it did capture the energy better and was looser, more collage like. Let me know how it goes!
These are all so helpful - esp separating art from work. I have a table in my study dedicated to art work that is wonderful to have bc everything is set up and stays there. But I would like to go a step further as the desk next to it is a "writing desk" and currently, my phone is sitting next to my laptop and you know how that goes...
Responding to the "space" where I work. I am a messy fabric artist; digging through bins of fabric... throwing things on a nearby shelf if it doesn't work, or leaving all the scraps laying around on the floor. It is my process, and it works...for awhile. Then the clutter gets overwhelming and distracting. I avoid the studio for days sometimes, not aware of this dilemma.
Cleaning and organizing my space often, keeps me focused on the important part of creating. I've even been k own to dump all the fabric out of the bins.... refold and organize. It's amazing how it opens the channels. It's almost as good as shopping for more fabric.
No2 has been important for me recently, I've been growing my library and reference books. This might seem obvious, but I need physical-book reference for my book illustrations, not just digital ones. Something about experiencing the object with the art feels important. Anyway, I too have a space that I clutter up! I just need to have everything on hand or I forget I have the thing (and buy stuff in repetition. It's a problem. ) I have procrastinating times (usually on Fridays, as in, right now!) and play with the dog times (or else I can't focus, on both accounts!)
Yeah, I’m with you on that. I have been building up my physical library for just that reason. I should have added “regular decluttering” as a good art hack. Def helps 😂
Thanks for these suggestions! I definitely need to focus on the tangible artifacts instead of digital ones. For space, I have a dedicated studio space, but I’ve found I have to actually make more of an effort to allow “making art” to take place anywhere and everywhere. I have little piles of art supplies in different parts of my house. If I kept it to the studio, I found it too easy to just not go there as an excuse that I can’t do anything creative unless I am in the studio. I have to trick myself into not making excuses like “it’s too far to go downstairs” which it is decidedly not. “Oh, I should stay upstairs and make dinner soon.” If I have some sketchbooks and pens around here and there, I can just grab them and begrudgingly start something. And then, then, I don’t want to stop! And no one gets dinner 😊 but I’ve made some art!
Love it! Interesting how different we all are. I do the same thing w reading. Books are in strategic places around the house. 😂
I am the same! But i still manage to trick myself out of doing the thing, bc the ONE supply i would need is not where i am at the moment 🤪
And sometimes it is really unnerving, that i have to carry the supplies from here to there. I should buy a second set of e.g. watercolors for my home, bc i really hate to move it all the time. And i equallly hate it, to not have them around whenever there's a sudden urge to paint 😅
What i have always with me wherever i am, is a small bag of coloured pencils and a sketchbook. I often draw in cafés, the tram or in the waiting room at the doctors ...
But for concentrated work i have to be in my studio.
Thank you for sharing these great tips, Jacob! I’m blessed to have a designated room for my studio, but I still work on my kitchen table often! I need to make my studio more inviting and inspiring so I want to be there. Getting ready to tackle declutterring, organizing, and cleaning my studio this weekend!
That’s huge! I (like many artist types) have a clutter problem. Books strewn about, pencils, scraps of papers. I don’t declutter enough - but when I do, it really helps. Think having less to-dos on that front helps w having mental room to make stuff. Good luck!!!
Thank you! I know having less things on the desk help. It’s easier to find my favorite pencil!
These are so great Jacob! We are about to move in to a new house and for the first time in my life I will have a studio of my own, so your first hack is a good one! They are all so good and make so much sense and I am going to take them all into my new studio.
Congrats!!! New space, new opportunities. Love it!
The internet is free but so are libraries. I go there for stories but this was a great reminder that I should also utilize it for research more often.
Quiet place filled with books = 🤩
I am moving to a new place soon and I am very excited to have a room designated for work that will be whatever color walls I want mwahahaha
Thank you for the tips, Jacob. I have a dedicated studio space that I strictly use only for work. The moment I step into it, I too am someone on a mission. But sometimes I feel like my studio is too limiting for my mind and so I change my workplace. I go to the kitchen or the living and work there. Helps alot. Gives me a boost. Then after a day I am back to the studio, trying to conquer the world ;)
Sure thing, Nafisa. That’s a good tip! It can start to feel restrictive or too work-like. Change of scenery and energy is a good idea. I have a friend who likes to work in a coffee shop to change things up.
I love all of these but the bit about drawing with the sketch next to you rather than on top feels like a game changer! I like my finals to be really shape-driven and it feels constrictive and counter intuitive to be tracing over sketches that don't have that same feel! Going to give that a go!!
It’s a bit like tight rope walking without a net at first! And I felt like quitting mid way a couple of times - BUT it did capture the energy better and was looser, more collage like. Let me know how it goes!
These are all so helpful - esp separating art from work. I have a table in my study dedicated to art work that is wonderful to have bc everything is set up and stays there. But I would like to go a step further as the desk next to it is a "writing desk" and currently, my phone is sitting next to my laptop and you know how that goes...
😂 yes, yes I do.
Responding to the "space" where I work. I am a messy fabric artist; digging through bins of fabric... throwing things on a nearby shelf if it doesn't work, or leaving all the scraps laying around on the floor. It is my process, and it works...for awhile. Then the clutter gets overwhelming and distracting. I avoid the studio for days sometimes, not aware of this dilemma.
Cleaning and organizing my space often, keeps me focused on the important part of creating. I've even been k own to dump all the fabric out of the bins.... refold and organize. It's amazing how it opens the channels. It's almost as good as shopping for more fabric.
Ha! Yes. I have early memories of drawing on your floor with little strings everywhere. Does help!
No2 has been important for me recently, I've been growing my library and reference books. This might seem obvious, but I need physical-book reference for my book illustrations, not just digital ones. Something about experiencing the object with the art feels important. Anyway, I too have a space that I clutter up! I just need to have everything on hand or I forget I have the thing (and buy stuff in repetition. It's a problem. ) I have procrastinating times (usually on Fridays, as in, right now!) and play with the dog times (or else I can't focus, on both accounts!)
Yeah, I’m with you on that. I have been building up my physical library for just that reason. I should have added “regular decluttering” as a good art hack. Def helps 😂