The Corny Kiss I blow to my favorite city.
On any particular day at home in KC, I definitely have a routine that sets up my studio day. Since this past week for me personally, here at SAIC, my studio days were intermittently disrupted by managing health issues with doctor visits, etc. Using this week as an example of how I “studio” is not a great one. So I will share my practice of how I “studio” at home as it’s a more regulated cadence of work and productivity.
The truth is at this time in my life, my studio practice IS my main focus and what I do with my “9-5”. It has been, and God willing, will continue to be a source of great joy. My day starts with a drive to my favorite coffee shop, a place without the distractions of home. On the way in my car, I play music, usually music that connects me emotionally to my day as a way to celebrate the joy & gratitude I feel for how I am to spend the next several hours. I drive past downtown KC, and I blow it a kiss on a certain part of the highway (corny, I know). I love to share my affection for a town that has been so good to me for so many years. I arrive at my coffee shop, usually with a book or journal in my hand, and settle into a comfy chair to read and journal. I like to select books that help inform the concepts and ideas I am exploring. This process helps generate ideas for projects I might pursue. I read & journal for about an hour before heading to my studio.
My studio, a 250 square foot private space, resides in an artist run facility. Many of my studio mates too pursue their art practices with focus and commitment, many with MFAs from various institutions. There is almost always someone available to converse with on a project. It's a wonderful community for that. I unlock my front door and prop it open. I like to send a message of availability to my peers, and also to allow my favorite resident pup to come in for a dog treat & a scritch. I pull out the materials from my tote bag that I brought for that day’s work, then I put on my smock (an old oversized black button up shirt I acquired from my husband) and pull my hair back with a clip I keep there. I usually already know what I will be working on that day as I have decided my next steps before leaving the previous day. I pull out my jambox, and cue up either a full album of music, or a Pandora station that matches my energy that day. Then I get to work, if you even want to call it that.
I take a small break at mid-day for a quick 20 min packed lunch in which I usually research something, or check emails during. Then I return to my project but instead, listening to a podcast. My heaviest thinking is done in the mornings, the afternoons are just the time it takes to complete what I am doing that day. Podcasts are engrossing and help me to focus on the long hours of painting, sewing or whatever task that requires time to complete. Before leaving, I clean up my work space, put things away, clean out brushes or containers. Then I take a photo of what I worked on that day (see examples below). I like to chronicle my work as I make it to help me track my progress on a project, and it’s fun to share with my husband at the end of the day. I take a few moments to consider the next steps in my project then text my hubs on our dinner plans. My favorite days end with Mexican and a margarita.
I am very much done for the day aside from sharing what I’ve learned or worked on with Mel (the hubs). I allow my brain to rest the remainder of the evening and keep my focus on my relationships. I like to engage in this cadence a minimum of 4 days a week. If something keeps me away from studio by breaking up the day, I use that time for research, reading and journaling. I like to have a minimum of 3-4 un-interrupted hours to work in studio. I allow 2 days of rest to keep my life in balance and create the right amount of distance from my work allowing me to see it more clearly after time away. I find this to be the most challenging part as there is a social piece to my practice, the various artist talks, open studios, and show openings that happen over the course of a weekend. It can be difficult to pick between a movie date night with my husband and an art show that he has zero interest in.
Frankly speaking, this has been the most joyful work and life arrangement I’ve observed since graduating from my undergrad. I don’t know for how long it will continue in this form. But, it has certainly helped me in my transition to my studio at SAIC, as these habits more directly translate on the studio days, minus Mexican and margaritas with Mel.
