Inviting enchantment into your life … by giving it somewhere comfy to sit —
Our artistic lives are uniquely portable. And I love that part of it. It’s easy to carry a camera just about anywhere (even easier to carry an iPhone), and it’s easy to set up shop with our journals or laptops wherever we like: cafe, library, park bench, even sitting beneath a tree.
But as digital artists we are almost sure to do our best work at our desk, with Photoshop (and maybe Lightroom) open in front of us, and the familiar, comforting feel of our mouse (or Wacom stylus) in our hand.
The desk at which we create our art can be one of the most important, most treasured places in the world to us. And it should be.
Which is why we need to give some real thought to this creative sanctuary of ours and make sure that it is just right.
Some artists thrive on their creative clutter. I’ve never been one of those. (But if you are, then go with it. Go wild.) In my case, I need a clear desk, my journal and a favorite pen at hand, Hobbes for a companion when there are no other cats sitting nearby … And I like to maintain a clear desktop on my computer, with everything tucked off neatly in folders.
I have always subscribed to the advice of the great French writer Gustave Flaubert, who once wrote:
“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”
That has always resonated with me.
But for some, that might not be the case at all. You have to decide for yourself. Just be sure you aren’t accepting clutter and chaos out of laziness. TRY clearing your desk of mess and distractions, and see if it makes you feel more confident in your work. If not, then add some selective clutter back in until it feels right for you. But choose your clutter carefully. Surround yourself only with those things you love. For you that could mean anything from a vintage record player to a collection of Star Wars action figures.
It’s your desk. I just want you to love being there.
So give it some thought. Make your desk one of your favorite (and most deliberately curated) places to spend your time.
Then I want you to extend this and give some thought to finding two or more places AWAY from home, where you love to go to think about nothing about your art.
Again, maybe it’s a cafe. Or a library. Or a park bench.
Maybe for you it’s a particular path at the arboretum or a nearby nature preserve.
Maybe for you (like me) it’s a favorite book store.
But find your places. At least two of them. Places you can go at least once or twice a week, either with your journal or with an iPad or a laptop. And when you are there, settle in. Just savor being there. Enjoy the ritual of it all …
For me, that means bringing out my camera, my journal, my pen, and sometimes my iPad with a small keyboard. And I’ll have a mocha (usually iced, usually soy or almond milk). And then I put on my headphones, cue some Rachmaninoff.
What’s your place? And what’s your ritual?
But when you are there, I encourage you to stay with your art. Just as when you sit down at your desk at home, this isn’t a time to check your email. This isn’t a time to noodle around online. The time you spend with your art is precious and limited. So use it.
Think about your art. Journal about it. Or get busy and create something.
If you want a quick break, jump over here to the Facebook group and see what’s going on. The group we have here in Awake is amazing, and it should inspire you. This is your tribe. You don’t want to be here all the time (there’s work to be done), but I do think it’s part of it all. So enjoy it. Drop in, look through some art, leave some comments, and then sign out and get back to your journal, get back to Lightroom or Silver Efex Pro or Topaz or Photoshop.
CREATE.
And the more deliberate you are about crafting WHERE you create, the easier it will be for you to immerse yourself there, the easier you will find it to slip into that imaginative dream … where all of the best and finest magic happens.
– Sebastian