My Messy Studio
Pencils
This week I invite you to visit my studio. In my day-to-day life I am an organized person and like things to be evenly and purposefully arranged. I used to have that going on in my studio as well–at least more than I do now. Now…things are much more in a muddle. I guess I could fret and get to work cleaning it up, but lately I’ve been enjoying the more chaotic nature of my surroundings. It’s like going into the wilderness, never knowing what you’re going to find.
So instead of cleaning it up or rearranging things to look more orderly, I will give you a tour of things as they truly are in my creative laboratory. Come in and allow me to present to you the treasures of my increasingly messy (read ‘relaxed’) studio.
Studio Floor
See this pile on the floor? This is a hub, a vortex, a soup of my imagination. This is where drawings I am currently interested in or working on have landed–are perpetually landing. In between being in process and being finished they shelter in place here with others of their kind. They sprawl comfortably, casually intermingling, awaiting my attention.
The size of the pile ebbs and flows. (A week or so ago my whole floor was covered.) Its configuration morphs considerably. But the mass of material always remains there for me to step over, circle around, and pick through.
The place where I find the deepest, most random, and fascinating gathering of pictures is on top of my flat file. I rarely know what all is in there, but I know it is interesting enough to have once been placed where it could be easily seen and contemplated.
Flat File Top
Every couple years I get things all arranged and sorted out and I can see clearly what is on top of my flat file. But very quickly things gravitate there, stick, and mix.
I continually resolve to dive in and at least take inventory, but so far I haven’t had the heart or the true inclination, and the layers just keep accumulating and things become less well aligned. I know some day I will go in. But right now it is building a history, expanding itself, fermenting.
Anyway, the point is, no matter how much I organize and put things where they go, there are always new piles forming. They are the fertile soil in which my imaginative arrangements of words and pictures and ideas grow. There’s a composting going on in this mulch of artifacts. Every time I step into my studio now I feel a thrill at the disarray. I enter it completely, without resistance or need to fix it up, and I play with the chaos. The deck gets shuffled and things get stirred up, and the higher order of beauty arises now and then.
BTW you might want to check out Ariane’s VORP event today to get a little stirred up yourself! It’s a wild ride as she interviews all 11 experts for this year’s smARTist!
Written by Lori Wolfson
Posted under Expand Creativity, Insight
Tags: art, artist, artist's studio, creative, creative piles, fine art, messy, Open Studio, organization, smARTist, studio, VORP, wilderness
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603 days ago,
Molly Gordon said:
I love this, Lori.
I love simplicity, clarity, and organization.
And I am a piler at heart. Things stack up and interact with each other both in my art work and my writing and teaching.
I love the tension between the periodic organizational binges and the composting!
[Reply]
603 days ago,
Jan Marinos said:
Yes, this is a respectful way of describing piles and the activity of creative minds.
I relate to many piles myself and have numerous ideas tucked away waiting for finishing touches or resolution.
When the time is right I find the bits and pieces and things fall into place with unexpected ease.
[Reply]
602 days ago,
Lori Wolfson said:
I suspected I was not alone in my appreciation of the interplay between order and disorder. It is inherent in all aspects of life. Lately I have become more conscious of its syncopated rhythms and better able to let go and enjoy the dance.
[Reply]
602 days ago,
the famous nemo said:
i love all your pencils, in a few weeks i am going to blog about my pencils, i am going to try to use up 365 next year.
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602 days ago,
Michael Hopkins said:
Lori,
The photos of your “layers of creativity” are beautiful works of art in themselves.
I agree, when inspired artistic passion flows organizing everything into neat stacks does not need to be a first priority. Reminds me of WC Fields opening his bank office roll top desk to a pile of “organized confusion” and, on request, reached in the pile and precisely pull out the customers form, knowing exactly where everything was.
The excitement of going through forgotten or older pieces of art is stellar, seeing and feeling from a “now” perception is always a huge move forward.
Lori, after seeing your work for many years (around 10 years) I want to tell you that you absolutely have a recognizable beautiful “Style of your own”, one of the highest goals that an artist tries to achieve.
Michael
[Reply]
602 days ago,
Lori Wolfson said:
Nemo, I will look forward to reading your blog about pencils. There could be a whole blog universe just about pencils. And tubes of paint. Etc!
Michael, Your layering onto my thinking was a great addition. I plan on diving into it again once or twice to savor the ideas you bring to the mix.
[Reply]
601 days ago,
Eran said:
Lori,
I loved growing up with your studio! It was a sacred room in the house. A place of quiet and colored pencils. You layering and erasing, mixing and blending shades of light.
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597 days ago,
Isobel said:
Creative disorder! The sexy chaos we all wallow in whenever we can! The dance of art and life! Yum!
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593 days ago,
Lori said:
Eran, I loved having you grow up in my studio. It would not have been complete without your encouraging, inspiring presence.
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