Creating A Very Tiny Space For Art

I may live in a four bedroom house, but it's tiny. 6 people live here. Two are garage hogs, three are kids, and then there's poor, little ol' me...no space to call my own...

I *may* be exaggerating. But, not by much.

I noticed that all my little projects were encroaching onto other people's spaces, and I was getting frustrated. So, I decided that ENOUGH is ENOUGH. I convinced my dear to help me move a large chair down to the garage, and if he could move his dresser across the room. He did! I have now conquered the very tiny corner, near my bed. Hooray!!

Setting up a place to call your own is not easy. Any art space has to speak to the maker of the art. Some people like a completely empty and open space, with little to distract the mind. Some like organized clutter, color, and everything at hand before they can sit and create. And, then there's all those creative people in between. My space is quite literally two feet deep by 4 feet wide! But, it is mine! And I love it! Here's the progression:

The Beginning: Booooorrrrring!!

Decorating the walls with some inspiration!

The Tool Corner: Organized Clutter

Ta-Da! The Finished Product!

To the left of the table, I have my postal/packaging station for the items I sell on Etsy. Beneath the table, I have all my jewelry making supplies and goodies.

And on the right side of the table, I have my make-shift book shelf (just some plastic DVD stands stacked on top of each other and the books stowed precariously in the shelves), my spinning tools tote, my embroidery tote, and my paper tote.

Now, I feel like I could stay here forever! And it is just further proof that you CAN make a space to create anywhere! Would I love to have an entire room dedicated to creating? Heck yeah! But, until my kids are grown up and have moved out for the last time (ask my mom~I can't tell you how many times her art room became a bedroom, and then an art room, and then a bedroom, and then a guest room, and so on...I believe now she finally has a permanent room for her art), I will not have an entire room.

Also on our agenda today was a trip east, to a little itty bitty town called Baring. We went out there to look at a piece of property on the Skykomish River. Needless to say it's not ideal for homesteading (I will get into that another day), but it was such a nice drive, and we were able to stop and play in the snow!

And we've been blessed with a couple of clear days, so it was great to be able to see the mountain peaks, covered in white! Usually, we get to see about half way up, and then the mountain peaks are hidden in thick rain and snow clouds. The Skykomish is my favorite river of all time. There will never be a river that could ever replace it in my heart. I've swam in it, fished in it, and found peace in it. I've even found wolf paw prints in the sand along the river bank. Here are some pictures I was able to take today:

This is actually really cool~a flood created this log and rock jam, which created this gentle little swirling pool of crystal clear water! I wanted to jump in, but alas, it is VERY cold water!

We actually have a lot of white water here on the Skykomish, and this would be considered somewhat "gentle".

John, Evie, Rosa, and David. They were throwing snowballs in the river.

If you look to the left of this photo, about three quarters of the way up, you can see the snowball missile that my love threw at me. It hit me. I cried. Not really.

Just a pretty view of the other side of the river and the mountains!

I hope Heaven is right on the Skykomish!

And that's it for today! Tomorrow is the first day of the New Year, and, unfortunately, a work day for me. Oh well! Someone's gotta keep the world going, right? :)

Happy 2013, my lovely friends!
Love,

Jenny Kaye