Having a home studio isn’t for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Here’s why:
1. No one touches my stuff.
Okay, so this is a biggie. When I worked in community studios, I always felt like *someone* was touching my stuff. Basically all the time. Clay would go missing, so would tools- especially bats. At least half of my work was ruined because at some juncture, someone touched it.
The worst part? I’m a million percent sure it was totally innocent. Lining work up to be fired in a shared space means pieces are *going* to be touched. Sharing space for in-process work means someone is going to need to move my piece to get to theirs. It’s inevitable. Unfortunately, clay has a memory, and pieces that I knew were round before being fired often showed signs of having been knocked. It was so frustrating.
2. I can work when it best fits in MY schedule.
While yes, pottery is my “full time job”, my primary responsibility is actually my family. My husband and I share a dog and a five year old (at the time of this writing), and for anyone with either, you know there are just so many *things*. Doctors appointments, vet appointments, groomers, emergency appointments because *someone* gave the dog something that upset their belly…. You catch my drift. And then there is school pickup, half days, concerts, play dates, so.many.things. Working at a community studio with set hours was really, really challenging for me from a scheduling perspective. Unfortunately, the closest studio that allows for monthly rental spaces is also about 35 minutes without traffic. (For anyone that’s familiar with Tampa traffic, you know that really means 27-107 minutes away.) I just didn’t want to waste valuable creating time driving back and forth.
Scheduling aside, I also find that my creative brain doesn’t exactly fit into a typical 9-5 schedule. It’s a little unpredictable. (Let’s not discuss the sketchbooks (plural) in my purse and notes section of my cell phone!) Having a home studio means I can take advantage of random working moments that fit my creative cycle best.
So what does a typical work day look like? Well, that’s another blog post, I’m sure!
3. I can really spread out!
IYKYK- I’m a mess when I work. Truly. If given the opportunity I WILL take over. Completely. It’s been amazing for my work cycle to have a dedicated space (with a door that closes). As a recovering people pleaser and someone who grew up in a… tense…. household, I really struggle with taking up space that is shared or belongs to someone else. It meant that while I was working in a community studio, I worked to stay as small as possible. I made small things, I used the corner wheel with the smallest table, I used only ⅓ of my space in the shared locker… It just wasn’t a super healthy space FOR ME. This may not be a problem other people struggle with, but for me, it was major.
Working from home and spreading out does drive my husband insane sometimes, but he’s so supportive of my journey that he generally just gently says “so what’s happening with those pieces over there?”. A true gem.
4. The snacks are CLOSE.
I’ve been known to forget a meal or two while I’m in the zone. And, while I’m a typical Jewish mother and over-pack food for my child, I often forget to pack food for myself. Working from home means the snacks are close and the effort is small. My husband also works from home and I’ll regularly smell what he’s cooking and emerge, only to partake.
So yeah. Snacks. The bathrooms are also clean. It’s a perk I don’t take lightly after over a decade teaching.
5. I’d really rather work alone.
This last one is really a personal preference thing. I mean, they all are, but this one in particular. I just don’t love working in a group setting. I find it stressful to know people might be watching me in real time (let’s not talk about how much anxiety it gave me to first post reels of my throwing) and the pressure just isn’t great for me. I also really like having a variety of tools set up while I throw, and some of them are intrusive towards others- depending on the set up.
I’ve talked about how my collection, The Grove, has been a grieving process for me, and honestly, I’m just not sure that’s a collection I would have felt comfortable exploring in a group setting. For me, the process of making art is so deeply personal, it’s hard to do it in a shared setting.
I’m really lucky that I also have some amazing friends in the pottery space locally, and we’re able to get together and work at each other’s spaces occasionally. I feel like this offers me the benefit of collaboration and continued learning, without sacrificing my work process.
Curious to hear how I set up my home studio (and what it cost)? Check back next week!
xo Amanda
1 comment
This is another beautiful post with great information to process. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about your set-up as I consider how best to create an art space in my own.
Peace & Love