How We Work

This spring and summer my studio has seen a lot of activity - painting for a few different shows, and working on illustrations for a big project, and through all of these deadlines I have found myself pondering my work habits — specifically my lack of cleaning up at the end of a day.

This week though I came to an important realisation: I am not neat when I am in process. In fact, I am the antithisis of neat. All my tools: brushes, paint, rags, pens, paper, xacto knives, and on and on, need to be out and within easy reach. When an idea strikes, or a problem pops up that I need to solve quickly, I work best when everything is right there ready to use.

And so this week, I declare to myself that when I am in full create mode my space is a mess, and truly I like it that way. I know so many people who clean up at the end of every day, and I have always so admired that, but I feel so free declaring that I, in fact, do not work well that way. Oh the freedom that comes with a realisation...

SO, how do you work? DO you pick everything up at the end of a day, or do you leave things out till a project is finished? Do you never clean up your creative work space, and leave it always in flux? I am always so interested to hear about how other people work, so please share . . .

Comments

[melissa]

I was keeping my space neat and everything put away but then I wouldn't create anything. Now I leave everything out all the time and I'm picking up the paint brushes more regularly! BTW...can't wait to see you in less than 8 weeks!

[kitty kilian]

Sure I clean up.. I can only work in a clean and ordered environment.. although DURING the process I will be pretty messy. My desk usually feels too small when I am working. Too many pencils etc.

[T]

I am so going to be coming here for inspiration...see my post from Wednesday

[Shelley Lane Kommers]

my table: messy, messy, and messy. i clean up about once a month or so, and it looks pretty for about a day.
:)
your new work looks lovely, by the way.. and a little bird told me we are both going to be in Three Grace's Teeny Tiny show in a couple of months! yippee!

[Lindsey]

most of my work is done on the computer, initially, but when the time comes to actually make things like magnets and bookmarks I pretty much leave everything all over the place until they are completed. Then I clean.

[kathryn]

I have to put my strings and art work away after I work or my cat will notoriously throw up on them! I can't tell you how many times this has happened! Luckily my work is washable! I start every day in my studio by walking around cleaning a bit just to get me in the mode of being there. As I straighten things, I beging to come up with ideas and things to do. That routine is so important for me.

[Cynthia at A Shimmy In My Spirit]

I like to keep things out so I can jump back into work the moment I am inspired. Most of my work is on the computer but I sometimes paint on my pieces. For a messy creative space, I have one word...curtains. I hung them from the ceiling the entire length of the room, in front of my work space and just close them when I am tired of looking at the mess. They're pretty too...a blue/grey satin.

[Sues Scott]

I've done it both ways, clean & like a hurricane. Now I'm working on the kindergarten method - everything in a basket for each project. Straighten & clean up on Fridays for the weekend. Naturally, sometimes it works & sometimes not, I am a work in progress. TGIF

[Account Deleted]

I've gotta be (relatively) tidy, which just means not a huge mess. I find that outer tidy helps with my inner tidy, which helps me make things!

Your blog is lovely, btw!

[Jen]

I'm complete chaos until the project is done.

Then I get that empty nest feeling and try to occupy myself so cleaning up comes as a good diversion.

Banners look great, by the way.

[Jess]

I'm okay letting the project take over my desk while I'm in the thick of it. But on Mondays I sort of clean and regroup, more often if its collaging with bits of tiny paper. Helps my mental clarity.. Love the new banners and the photos of your work space!

[Mari]

I use cleaning/straitening up to get me back into "studio mode" if I feel the need. Otherwise, I would rather be creating than cleaning. (This is apparently the case for the rest of my house as well!) :-)

[Pippin Schupbach]

my creative space is messy until i can't stand it any more. i usually have several paintings in process, so it does me no good to clean up at the end of each creating session. i feel it's okay to have a non-tidy space, because the rest of my house is in tip-top shape.

[twitter.com/CandiedFabrics]

Ooh! New Header! pretty!

I know that too much clutter is a big downer for me, so I'll put stuff away between projects...but most of my projects last more than a day, I don't totally clean up then. What I do do (hah! I said doo-doo!) is try to leave the next step ready to do when I return - so I don't spend a half an hour remembering what I was gonna do next!

[sarah s.]

Liz: Thank you for declaring this....I work in much the same way and my whole family thinks I am so messy. I don't look at it as messy, I look at it as part of the creative process. I will clean when the process is over and I get such a feeling of accomplishment when I work this way. I also feel that I can move forward with an open mind on the next project coming up....Also love the new banner.....have a great weekend...Sarah

[sara]

I do my best to clean up at the end of the day, or at least make organized piles, but I'd have to say "in constant flux" is the best description of my work space. Most often it's a bit cluttered, sometimes really messy, and occasionally neat and clean.

[aimee]

love the new header and these tantalizing pics of work in progress! i'm very messy when i work, so i have to clean up when i'm finished so i'll have a fresh slate when i start up again. my mind has to have both in order to feel balanced and happy.

[Cindy Jones Lantier]

I clean up the studio when it gets to where I can't work anymore. Usually, I just pile things on the nearest surface (usually my desk or one of the shelves right behind my desk) until I can't find what I'm looking for anymore. So, about every two or three weeks, it gets reorganized.

Loved the peak at your work-in-progress. Can't wait to see more!