SubscribeReduce, reuse, redecorate
Life has obviously changed since Veda came into my life. Specifically my artistic life has changed significantly, as I wrote about here already. And I’ve been sort of wallowing in that for quite some time… not knowing exactly how to handle this being a full-time mama and full-time artist simultaneously. And at times questioning whether or not it was possible (for me… I know that some moms seem to not miss a beat somehow).
The other day I was out on my daily walk with Veda and I felt this sudden rush of adrenaline flow through me. And this loud inner voice come through and clearly say: “Penelope. You are NOT going to roll over and die creatively right now. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start making it work. Start with your studio. Bring play back into it.”
And like lightning it occurred to me that I need to make Veda part of my creative life… instead of viewing them as opposing forces. And that I could share the studio with her by making it into an art studio slash play room. So that I could work when I needed to while she played. Especially as she gets older and starts to crawl and walk and entertain herself with toys and her own imagination (which I can already see happening). And hey, playing in the studio is going to be great for my work too!
And then I smacked myself in the forehead… because — How obvious! Why had this not occurred to me before?
So when I got back from the walk I immediately started making plans to change my studio around. Right now I have giant desks in there filling up most of the space. Desks I’d bought for my old large studio in South Carolina. And they just don’t work in the new small studio (I work in the basement of the new house). And the walls are beige. (Yawn.) And there is mucho clutter and no real rhyme or reason to any of it. Art supplies are strewn everywhere, books overflow the shelves and all flat surfaces, and there is no good lighting except for right over my workspace. And of course, no place for Veda to play. (She sometimes sits in her walker while I answer emails, but that doesn’t entertain her for long.)
So my new plans include:
- pairing down desks. So I only use one and only keep out supplies that I use daily.
- painting the walls a fun color.
- getting/making curtains. (I have boring roman shades slapped up right now from when we first moved in and I needed something up pronto.)
- painting a giant chalkboard on the wall for her. (Like she has in her room. She doesn’t use it now of course, but she will soon enough!)
- getting more bookshelves for extra storage. Lower shelves for toys and baby books and soft things. And high shelves for art supplies and mama books.
- soft rugs.
- a movie nook. (There is a small cubby that would be perfect for movies on rainy days… I’m thinking lots of floor pillows and blankets.)
- short tables for her to do her own drawings.
I’m trying to use what I already have. So I’m using one existing desk, putting a rug down that was in storage, using pillows from other rooms (need to do some sewing so they all match), using existing bookshelves (and buying 2 more probably), using an old coffee table for her drawing table, and finding unused lighting in the storage room.
I’m excited about these changes. Adding play. Creating a space for art and mama and baby and fun. I think it’s a step in the right direction. Is that my creativity rearing its sleepy head? We’ll see if it works…
(I’ll try to post some before and after photos if I can.)
babe! so friggin excited about this! and yes yes yes! a whole play room for mama and babe!
you rock so very much darling… so excited to see your journey unfold…
love you!
xoxo
I’m expecting our first child in two months and have been thinking about how this could work for me. What fantastic ideas you have – I’m definitely going to borrow your ideas. Thank you for sharing!
Sounds like a great plan! I really hope it works for you. I like the idea for half / half shelves. I find I have more ideas for concepts now that I’m a mum. But also Ethan loves to scribble over my drawings. I haven’t thought of a solution yet. We’re having a great time anyway…
congratulations! I’m happy for you, not just that you thought of a way to solve the situation but also that you already feel the creativity step in to help you.
it’s wonderfully creatalicious, sounds like a brainstorm , not just a dribble
This sounds like such an inspiring idea Penny! Fun!
Yay!!! What a great idea. I can’t wait to see what unfolds. :)
congrats on your newfound inspiration!
awesome ideas….
I highly recommend the expedit ikea bookshelf (top rows our stuff, bottom rows baby books and toys) my daughter loves to play with her toys on the selves. second row is perfect for her height since she could walk…
Sounds awesome! Have you thought about just painting the coffee table with chalkboard paint? …She’ll be coloring on the table anyway!
WooHoo! It was right there bubbling at the surface waiting for an outlet! I love the idea of repurposing–using what you already have around the house. This was the springboard you needed my sweet.
Must share pics…xxoo C
Hey, it’s Timshel from Roman Candle. Let me just say I love keeping up with how you are so honestly working through reconciling and coalescing mamahood and art and life and everything. I feel like this is such a beautiful and brave adventure and one that takes every step in a day to work out and adjust and jump through. It is the BEST adventure and the biggest. I read this post from backstage in Little Rock Ak where we have our two little ones on the road with us. We try our best to bring them with us into the middle of our artistic life because, well, for all of the seeming struggles..they make it better. And bigger. Cheers to all of your ideas and to the bright snap of vision you had on your walk. To more of these and the wonderful life of mixing the real with the real !
and the universe provides again – YES!
This post gives me a lot to chew on…before my little guy was born a year ago we converted our garage into an office/studio for my business. It has been a great escape for me because it is separate from the house so when he is with his babysitter, I feel really AWAY and able to focus on work. However it is totally not a place where I can integrate his play and creativity, mostly due to computers and printers and assorted gadgets that are right down at his level. I love your idea of giving Veda the space and the tools to work and play at your side, and it’s really started me thinking about how I can do the same. Thanks for the inspiration!
awesome! this is inpsiring to me, too, as i’m figuring out the same. and as for the forehead slap, “duh”, give yerself a break mama, you’ve only been a mama for 6 months! you really haven’t skipped a beat like you think. one thing i’ve been doing is hanging things from her giant tree and the ceiling in my studio. (she can also see the tree life from my studio) when the ceiling fan is on, the whole tree and all its inhabitants come to life and she LOVES it. they truly are her friends. i also hung a hammock chair for her to take naps in (a large clip secures her in the ‘pouch’) and i can swing her while i work. i need to get more puzzle piece floor mats for her to play on in addition to her rug…and i have the perfect spot under a work table to make into “her” space as she gets older — i always LOVED spaces like that when i was little…under tables, in closets, in big boxes, etc, so i think she’ll like it. let’s keep sharing ideas and supprt this full time mama/artist life! xoxojenny-mama
I LOVE this idea!
Hey Miss P- I’m not a mother to humans, but when we moved to the farm my art life conflicted with my ‘baby’ – birthing a farm and livestock and fields. I never totally gave up my art, but it tok a back seat, and I had no rep. There were some days when I almost resented the farm, for lack of a better way to say it. It took a couple years to settle in, maybe three to really settle in. I had to open my mind to give up whole systems that worked before – like certain schedule didn’t work for me [of course I was newly married too]…also, even today, my studio is in constant flux to flow with what is in my life at the time – the area where I did my large abstracts now is where a whole bunch of dried floral is for our lavender business. Since I’m choosing to work smaller right now, it’s fine. If I decide to do large canvases again, I’ll change it around again. Nothing needs to stay the same. Veda will work in one area for a few months, and when she’s 1 or two, you’ll need to adjust again. Go with it. And enjoy it.
Great idea – and I find that reorganising my studio often restarts creativity anyway.
Make sure you take time to draw Veda every now and again. I snatched a few moments to do so between being busy when my girl was little, and those drawings instantly take me back, more than a photo ever could. They are not very good, but that doesn’t matter.
Anyway, my girl is now fourteen, and she and I are still making art and having fun together, and she still has the run of my studio, although she makes slightly less mess these days.
so happy for you and yes you are right on target! Maybe Veda will even inspire some new art pieces who knows!
Check out the table bar at Ikea where you can add those 18″ legs to make short tables, I have a 6′ long one in my studio and my 2 girls happily make art side by side and with their mama :)
Wait until she starts drawing! You will be so inspired and floored by her genius. As a tot, a red crayon is like a surprising magic wand. My three year old has an art desk with all of his supplies in my art studio area. He creates constantly and my goal is to draw like him. Big expressive shapes, great compositions and little detailed embellishments.