Studio Hours : Day 02

Reflections

Jun 17

This was such a dreamy morning in the studio!

Here are a few reflection:

I woke up around 7:30am after eight hours of sleep. Went downstairs to made breakfast and coffee for myself, before my family was up and about, and then slipped down into my studio to light a candle. I spent the first ten minutes tidying off my desk (how do thinks pile up so quickly?!) and the next thirty minutes eating and reading a delightful newspaper!

I’m going to pause here to share a little about this newspaper, which isn’t really a news paper per say, but more of an enchanted portal to inspiration, nostalgia, and magic of the witchiest kind. I found out about the paper from a dear friend while on retreat in Italy. She found out about it from another one of our friends and now I pass along the magic to you. I will say, it’s so lovely and aesthetically pleasing, it feels a bit like I’m playing pretend with a prop from a Wes Anderson film or something of the like. Also, I have yet to take it out to read in public, (despite the many times I’ve fantasized about reading it at a corner table in my favorite cafe, while sipping a cappuccino) because there’s some part of me feels a little foolish or self conscious, as if I’ll look like I’m trying really hard to be “that person” with my analogue newspaper filled with whimsical articles about art history, philosophy, practical magic, etc. And let’s be honest, for better or worse, I am that person (or I am partly that person while also holding a multitude of other versions and flavors of self). I love a piece of print ephemera so beautiful it would fit seamlessly in a romantic film scene in a Parisian cafe. All that said, the thing that really makes this paper special are the words woven together into beautiful articles that are equal parts emotive and inspiring. And really, this merging of visual beauty with depth and substance, is what makes a thing magic. A prop is just a prop, something to hold without holding anything deeper, but this is more than that I think.

Anyways! I just really enjoyed this morning newspaper-studio-candle-light-breakfast-moment and in case you’re looking for a little relief from the present day insanity of all that is artificially intelligent, I highly recommend finding something to turn your attention to that feels as rooted as possible in the ephemeral, impermanent, magic of the earth realm.

Okay, now back to the reflection! While I was reading my fancy newspaper, after finishing my breakfast, I felt the first line of a poem and started writing.

I think it’s worth noting, I had no intention of spending my two hours in the studio writing poetry, but one after another the words came through and I pulled out my type writer give them space on the page. By the end of my two hours of studio time the poem was written and shared in the Spiral Library. Nothing perfect, but just what it was meant to be. A marking of the moment, a sharing of my heart.

At 10am, I abruptly turned my attention to a meeting and the rest of the day filled up with client work, until 5pm when I slipped into a Case for Making watercolor class to paint tiny fish.

A few specific things I’ll be holding close after today:

Beginning the day with intentionally held space for creative experimentation felt like putting my oxygen mask on first. Full stop.
It is important for me to have a clear, clean space, before studio hours begin. I’m planning to build in 10 minutes for tidying my space right before opening the space. Kind of like setting up the shop before opening the doors for business.
Whatever is meant to happen during studio hours will happen during studio hours. The freedom granted by not having any expectations for what will or wont happen during this time, and no predetermined outcomes or goals, feels integral to the success of this experiment.
My creative self expression thrives with time and space and freedom to just see what happens!
Also, and perhaps most importantly, I am SO fortunate to have the support of a loving partner. My husband works four tens and spends Wednesdays with our kids. This is a big part of why I was able to get up early, take care of no one but myself, and slip right into my studio first thing in the morning. Unconditional support and care, are so important and not to be taken for granted. I am SO GRATEFUL!