A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN

March 19, 2023

Virginia Woolf wrote of needing “a room of one’s own”. This is a universal need of a creative artist, whether a painter, writer, dancer, or sculptor. Art takes space. An artist needs the space for solitude and for the execution of the work of art. Unfortunately, space is sometimes hard to come by. We must be creative in finding the space we need as artists. It is not acceptable to have a box in a closet that contains the art supplies needed to work with. If that is the case, the artist will not work as consistently as is necessary to grow. I will talk next time about how often you need to work; for now I will address the way to get the space you need.

Ten years ago, I had a studio built on to my home. It was the best gift I ever gave myself! The space was large with a closet to hold framed paintings, plenty of storage space for supplies, an eight foot table to work on, an easel, and even a small refrigerator for my acrylic palette. Last year, my husband and I moved into a small apartment while we looked for a new home. I wasn’t about to give up my studio space. I moved my work table into a garage, brought in full spectrum lights and a space heater and continued to work. It was not an ideal studio, but sufficient to keep my creativity alive.

Some artists rent studio space away from their homes. Many communities have co-ops where artists share studio space for a small monthly rental fee. There is an advantage to this arrangement in that it allows for community with other artists and sometimes even a place to display and sell work.

I encourage you to think about where you can create a space to pursue your creativity. Get away from the box in the closet and set up “a room of your own”.