For as long as I can remember, and certainly for my entire adult life I have always enjoyed creating things. This comes with a price though...mess, lots and lots of mess. I think many home crafters, hobbyists and artists can relate. Over the years I have tried different tactics to manage this rather unfortunate side effect of creativity. I have piled things in bins, closets, stacked supplies on shelves and stuffed them into drawers. Whenever I felt the need to do something artsy I would drag everything out that I thought I would need from wherever it was I had stored it. Usually from a myriad of different places around the house and proceed to organize (yes I am using that word loosely) said supplies on the kitchen table. I would work on whatever it was I was working on for a few hours at most and then invaritably dinner time would roll around, or the kids needed a place for homework or...you get the idea...I would have to..PUT IT ALL AWAY...mid project no less! This became tiresome. And it got to the point where many times even if I felt like working on an art piece or starting up a new drawing I just didn't, because well, it was just too much of a hassle. I am a person who dislikes hassles very much. What to do? Leaving delicate, messy and sometimes hazardous art and crafting supplies just lying around the house is not really an option when you have kids and pets. I learned this the hard way- more than once. But lugging everything around whenever I wanted to work on something was well, not working either. I needed a studio.

I believe that every home crafter and artist needs a place that is conducive to their work and creativity. It took me a good amount of trial and error to make that place for myself. If you are thinking about creating one for yourself I hope to get you off to a good start. If you already have a home studio maybe you will find some tips to make it even better. The first step for me was to assess my needs. I needed a space big enough to hold ALL my supplies. I really wanted all my paints, paper, canvas, pens ext. in the same spot. I needed a space where I could work and still keep and eye on my kids and pets but not have it be in the middle of everything they were doing. I didn't need a  fancy studio, just a practical one. A place I could have a contained and organized mess. For me, the perfect solution was a nice corner in the garage which is conveniently attached to the house. I set up an old desk, a card table, some little drawers for often used items and some easily accessible bins and boxes for lesser used supplies. Eventually I added more shelves and rearranged some things, and I am still thinking about ways to improve my space. The important thing is, even though it may not be perfect it works for me. Here are my top tips for creating your very own studio space that works for YOU. 

 1. Prioritize: think about what your specific needs are and what is the most basic set up that you require. You can build from there. It may be helpful to make a list. 

2. Start small if you need to. Very small even! I have a friend who works as a full time teacher and has a young daughter.  He wanted to get back to painting but did not have a spot to work. So he set up a small folding table on the patio and put his paints and other supplies in boxes under the table. He taught his daughter that this was his table and off limits to her. Boom-home studio. Hey, you gotta start somewhere! 

3. enlist the help of other members in your household: Talk to the other people living with you and tell them that you would like to have your own creative space. Your studio space is more likely to be a success and be respected if everyone in your household is on the same page. They may even have some great ideas that you hadn't though of!  the list from tip #1 could come in handy here. 

4. Light bulb! Unless you are a photographer dreaming of a dark room it is important for your studio space to have plenty of natural light in the daytime, and a good alternate lighting source (aka a decent lamp) for those late night creative binges. 

5. Start with what you have. One of the reasons I put off making myself a home studio for so long was because I was afraid of spending too much money. So before you go out and buy anything, put your creativity to good use and take a good look around your home and and see if you can use some things you already have. You may be surprised by what you find. However...you might need to purchase a few items which brings me to my next tip...

6. Make your space comfortable.  Do not underestimate the importance of feeling physically and mentally comfortable in your studio space. One of the few things I actually went out and bought for my home studio was a nice fan. So although you certainly don't need to go out and spend a fortune on making your home studio state of the art it is extremely important that you have a certain level of comfort, or else you will not want to use it. 

Now that you have your very own studio space there are a few simple things to keep in mind.

1. Its okay if it doesn't work the first ... or fourth..time. So you thought you set up the perfectly imperfect studio..and..it just.... doesn't ....work. Its okay. learn from what worked, and what didn't and move on. (literally, move it somewhere else!) Before my garage studio, I had my home studio in my patio room. I liked some things about this set up, but overall, and for a variety of reasons, it just was not working. So instead of settling or giving up on the idea all together I tried something else. 

 2. Love it but Never stop improving: I absolutely love working in my Garage studio. But, as you can probably tell from my photos it is certainly not making it in the pages of Better Homes and Gardens anytime soon. In other words it could still use some work. But thats okay, I am always on the lookout for inexpensive ways to improve my studio. And, as i said before..you gotta start somewhere! 

What are your ideas for an awesome home studio?

Aloha !