There are simple and easy-to-implement strategies that can help you make the most of your home studio, so let’s talk about them! 

My name is Carrie and I created Artist Strong to help self-taught artists build their skill and develop their unique style. To date, thousands have joined the community to learn and grow together.

If you feel like gaps in your learning hold you back from making your best art, sign up and watch my free workshop, called How to Create Art from Your Imagination. It’s completely free and the link is in the description below.

Now, let’s talk about studio space.

For those of you starting out and beginning to build out a studio, it’s OK to start simple. In a recent interview with community member Shea Irving she shared that her first studio space was actually part of her hallway! Then, she took over a corner of her dining room. And now look at her beautiful space.

My first “studio space “was the eating area of my one bedroom apartment. I’ve moved a lot and the space has changed according to my living situation and needs.

The point here is you don’t have to wait for the perfect space to make room for your art.

👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽I’d love to know where you’re at: are you working on a dining room table, or have you converted the dining room into a studio? Tell me in the comments below.

Now, let’s set up the space you’re in so it’s easier to show up and make art.

Several people confided in me that when they have time, they often show up in their workspace, unsure of what to work on. They spend what little time they have staring at a blank canvas, or avoiding the artwork they feel stuck on. And this lack of productivity, only further convinces their inner critic that they are wasting time, so “why bother?”

The thing that helps me cope the best with my inner critic and allows me to make the most of my time is to have several works in progress at several stages of completion. So today I was stitching for some of my embroidery work, started feeling impatient and jumped over to a colored pencil drawing. Even if you work in one medium, having multiple pieces allows you to take breaks and get fresh eyes on the work.

Karin Holmström is a part of Artist Strong and also uses the strategy. Her abstract and portraits of people, animals and landscapes can feel her studio and allows her to take breaks on pieces where she feels stuck as well as sit with a piece for a while to decide if it’s actually finished.

Obviously to get this going, you’ll need to start a few artworks at the same time. Then you can get into the habit of staggering what you work on. For the rebels in our community this also affords you a level of freedom because you have choices of what to work on when you feel like it (and bonus: you get more done).

👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽Comment below with the phrase: “works in progress” if you plan to implement the strategy and hit that like button. I’d love to know that this content is helpful.

Finally, I want to discuss your studio setup. 

How do you leave your workspace when you finish? How can you set it up to help you jump straight into the work each time you show up to make the work?

Sharon Black is a community member that has literally changed her technique to her art to help her show up for her art. We were in conversation about optimizing her studio set up when she told me how much she hated setting up her pains each and every time she showed up. So I asked her if she could set up her paints at the end of each studio session so she could just start painting the next time she showed up. She uses a sta-wet palette, which I have linked below, and has acrylics ready to go.

Then, after sharing how much she hated cleaning her brushes, she took this idea even further – she ditched the brushes all together! She uses pallet knives instead. No more cleanup. 

👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽Now it’s your turn: what’s one thing you can change in your studio that will make it easier to show up for your art? Tell me in the comments below.

There are so many things we can do to optimize our space but I don’t think it requires fancy organizational tools or a completely clean space. What it does need, is you, thinking about how best to work with your personality and art to help you show up and make more art.

Today we covered:

1. Keeping our studio space simple. It’s much better to have something to work on and then to wait for that magical ideal space.
2. Having multiple works, in progress at different stages of completion helps us show up and start working straight away and finally,
3. You can set up your supplies and choose materials that help you jump straight in!

Be sure to like and subscribe if you enjoy today’s video. It’s a huge help that helps more of the right people discover my work.

And if you are creative who has had a studio space for a while, but feel stuck, like learning gaps are holding you back from making the art that captures your unique style, watch my free workshop: How to Create Art from your Imagination. You can watch it as soon as you sign up, so grab that link below.

As always, thank you for watching. 

Remember, proudly call yourself an Artist. 

Together we are Artist Strong!