Tag: creativity

Embracing Art: Creating Your Home Gallery

For years now I have dreamed of having a loft studio with white walls that were covered with art hanging all around me. The art was both my own and others, whatever brought me joy. I would look at the studios in warehouses that artists lived in and envied the space and high ceilings and big windows. I followed many artists who live in New York City or Paris and dreamed I would someday have such a place.

A few weeks ago I visited a friend of mine who lives in a condominium in Toronto. She has an extensive art collection and has several gallery walls displaying the artwork in her living room and down the hallways. One of the rooms in her place is dedicated to creating her own art. She can go in there and play to her hearts desire. When she wants to take a break she can walk out of the room, close the “mess” behind her and step back into her quiet and calm living room/art gallery. I am inspired by what she is creating and how she set herself up to honour her love of art. She recently retired so has more time and energy to dedicate to it now.

I live in a small 500 square foot studio apartment — not the big warehouse studio I dreamed of still it is a studio and I love it. The ceilings are quite high and the walls are painted white. I have two chairs, a table and a bed as well as a bookcase and a desk. The galley kitchen is small and serves its purpose. The walls are my gallery. How lucky am I.

A while back I wrote about how I had shifted my furniture around in my studio to create more of a flow for me to do my own art. My first love is collage art. I had done several pieces and boxed them away. When I settled into life in southern Ontario I started exploring and playing with watercolours. That is what I am using now. I worked with acrylics for many years when I lived in Victoria, BC and then gave all my art supplies away and sold or gave away my paintings when I moved back east. I only saved one which is pictured here. Titled “Memory Garden”.

I must confess I have not done any artwork for over two years. In all the confusion and upheaval with moving three times in two years I simply did not have the energy or inspiration. This past month I decided to sign up for a couple of art classes to help kick start my artistic desires. I have taken two classes now and have three to go. I am in the flow of my creative energy once again.

This week I took out a box of artwork that I had done a few years ago. I was surprised to see how much I had created. My friend who lives in Toronto stopped by, saw some of what I had done and said to me “You need to frame these and hang them on your walls”. That is all the encouragement I needed. Another friend had all kinds of frames that she was not using and offered me to come by and take what I needed. What a gift!

So this past weekend I continued to transform my place into the studio/gallery I dreamed of for so long. I framed several pieces of my own art and hung them on the wall or placed them on shelves. The bright colours take me to my happy place. I am inspired and energized now to keep painting and also do my collage work.

I decided to set up a second table that is plastic and use it for my work table along side my dining table. I can leave my materials all set up for as long as I want to. It is after all my artist studio now.

What I have learned in this process is that even when things seem too much to handle finding that creative force within helps to ease the pain. There is so much harsh reality to face in the world today and sometimes it literally makes me sick to my stomach. Then out of nowhere I feel a piece of writing or a painting come to me and I feel the desire if not the need to bring it to the page.

So as we contemplate our place in all the turmoil let’s keep in mind that we can still find beauty in the world. When we are home alone or with others we can also create it. I hope dear reader, that you find your creative endeavours make your heart sing. There is nothing like seeing the fruits of your labour come into focus.

Posted on by Beth 3

Transforming My Studio Apartment into a Creative Sanctuary

The year 2025 has begun. I personally feel a new kick in my step and am off to great start. The sun has been shining more and the crisp cold air invigorates me when I am out for my morning walks.

I began the new year as I often do by rearranging my furniture. The energy in me is shifting so that leads to my need to move things around in my environment. I first landed in my place in December 2023 and spent last year living my life and discovering how best to use the space I have.

Being a very creative person, I like to express myself with art and writing. Last year I didn’t do any art. For some reason, I just did not get to it. No matter how many supplies I bought or videos I watched to inspire me I was not motivated to push that start button even though it was something I knew gave me great satisfaction. So this year I looked around and realized there was no dedicated space for that purpose. The small desk I have had for years was tucked away in a back corner and became a catch all for papers and other things I did not know what to do with.

There it was my art centre. It was time to bring it out from facing the wall and give it a more prominent place in my living space. Hence began the furniture shuffle. The desk was cleared off, dusted and wiped down. I put it in front of the shelves where the art supplies are and faced it out into the room so there was lots to look at. Then I put my art journal on the desk with a few water colours. Voila, there it was my creative centre, literally in the centre of my room. I like that I can leave everything out and just sit down when I feel like playing with my art. Some days I sit for hours and other days just a few minutes here and there. The “studio” calls me whenever I feel moved to create. The best part is it can also be a writing centre. So I have set the tone for the year ahead. More playtime and more time to create and lots of space to do it.

The other area of my place that needed to change was my “living room” sitting area. I live in a one room studio. In order to make it feel “homey” I like to define the space into sections so it doesn’t feel so much like a bed sitting room. So I have two comfortable chairs that I have to sit in. One is a recliner which is where I sit most of the time. The other is more of an accent chair for guests or me if I want a change. Now my chair sits beside the window facing into my home rather than toward the window. I have a whole new perspective. It is a metaphor for my life right now as I like to focus inward this time of year. It is my time to curl up with my book and let myself coast into spring.

When my friend came for tea yesterday we sat in the “living room” and had a lovely visit together. Our chairs were turned toward each other and we were able to chat and feel comfortable with just enough space between us.

I still get outside for my regular walks and enjoy having friends over for a cup of tea or even a meal now and then. Still spending time on my own gives me such pleasure because my home reflects back to me all the things that are most important to my quality of life.

I am a big supporter of making the space you live in be as functional and comfortable as possible. I also have a strong intuition about how we arrange the things we have to give a feeling of warmth and presence. When things are placed willy nilly without a thought or feeling as to why it is there then a place feels cluttered and out of balance. Keeping the energy flowing is another way of setting up a room. Feng Shui is a very popular discipline that uses the principals of energy flow in and around your home. I don’t know all the ins and outs of Feng Shui I just know when something “feels” right and if it doesn’t I sit with it and ponder what needs to change.

Right now I have a beautiful red amaryllis bulb sitting by desk that started blooming on New Years eve. It was given to me as a gift and took six weeks to grow and blossom. This is a reminder to me that some things take longer to germinate and to wait patiently. Sometimes what you are waiting for is even more beautiful than you could have ever imagined.

I had no idea when I moved into my studio apartment a year ago that having a creative centre in my home would be so important to my sense of well being. When I arrived the desk went into the corner and I hung a gallery of pictures of family and special treasures from friends and grandchildren. That was my focus then — maintaining a close relationship with them all. The wall faced my bed so every night before going to sleep I would look at those pictures and smile then in the morning it was the first thing I saw. It still makes me smile. Now my chair sits beside that wall and they are all right there beside me reminding me how truly blessed I am.

This place has become my sanctuary where I feel peaceful, calm and filled with joy. It is also a place where I find myself gathering my friends and family to me. Occasionally I invite my daughter and son in law and their three children to join me for dinner. My kitchen and dining area then become my creative centre. The first time I invited them I was worried there would not be enough space for all of us. Still hospitality is an important part of who I am so I did it anyway. We all fit in just fine. It was warm and cozy and food and company was enjoyed by all. I was encouraged to host other gatherings.

What I have learned from all of this is that when you live your life from the heart of who you are you can create space for all that is in your heart no matter how small that space is. It took me a year of living with the place to know how we would coexist together so that I can live my best life. I am so thankful for my home. The people who manage the building I live in ensure it is a safe and healthy environment and I am so grateful.

Here’s to creating sacred space! May we all be blessed with a home that is safe and filled with love.

Posted on by Beth 6