Monday Musing – Do You Need a Separate Studio Space?

Maybe your partner has made comments about your space growing past the agreed-upon boundaries. Have your friends asked you why there is a wall of mirrors in your living room? Is the cat no longer happy listening to you rehearse the same song over and over? Whether sitting at your dining room table or in the basement with paints, music, dance shoes, or a notebook of lines to memorize, there has probably been a time where you’ve dreamt of having a separate studio space apart from your current arrangement.

Bigger Space? Purpose Built Space? Separate Studio Space?

“Do I need a different space for a studio?” can be difficult to answer but here are some valid issues to consider before the moving boxes need to come out.

Balance

A home studio sounds great until you are continually being interrupted by the phone, kids, or a million other distractions, or it could be you forget the life part of the equation and find yourself working from sunup to sundown. Either way, it is crucial to create harmony for both.  It is not uncommon for an artist to feel stuck or lack motivation at times, but when your entire existence is in one location, it can cause concerns. A studio space that you can call your own might bring balance.

Productivity

Sometimes the studio space that worked well for your purpose last year is no longer serving you if you have taken on more work, clients, or just advanced in your career. There are different needs for a professional artist than one just starting, and as you become more accomplished over time, you may have different requirements.

Wants/Needs

After careful consideration of the above two topics, a budget is the next necessary evil. Creating an awareness of the wants and needs your work requires, will help to generate a realistic amount to be spent on rent or lease. Armed with a figure in mind, you can begin the hunt for studio space. Create a checklist of all the must-haves needed in your studio and stick to it. Finding an almost perfect space will turn into a problem before too long if one of your requirements is missing.

Budget

After spending some time searching for an appropriate space, you have discovered your budget is just not going to allow for a move. Don’t get disheartened! What about sharing a studio space with another artist? Are there other artists in the same situation? It doesn’t have to be someone with the same work as you. Think about teaming up with someone that may require a studio for different hours than you need. Or maybe you could work out a co-sharing arrangement that would allow for collaboration.

Taking the time to consider all the above factors will give a good indication of whether it would be the right time to invest in studio space and also point you in the right direction for looking for an appropriate space. A creative space, apart from living space, can allow distinct boundaries between home and work. A studio may be the push needed to advance in your career or the encouragement required to focus on being productive.