When I moved into the studio on Saint Ambroise it felt like this romantic moment of becoming an artist. {In fact, I had been an artist for 4 years prior to that moment.} It felt significant, like a declaration and it was perfect for what I needed it for - taking photos, meeting artists and clients. When I decided to give it up, it felt like a huge loss at first. It felt like I was letting go of the dream. So I decided to use it as my studio, to paint in it for the month and see what the reality of having a studio was like. Needless to say, the dream and the reality did not quite mesh. Yes, the studio had gorgeous white walls and tons of natural light. There is space to store finished works as well as a place to paint. My studio mate is incredible and the building is filled with other artists and creative businesses of all sorts. It felt like the place to be. Painting there was fine but getting into the flow proved difficult. After the 15-20 minute drive {depending on Montreal traffic} and finding parking, settling into the work took a bit of time. When I did get to work, I felt like I had to spend a certain amount of time there to make it worthwhile. I don't have those kind of constraints at my home studio. I can go down everyday and spend 5 minutes of 4 hours working. I can work, then pop up to write a blog post and pop back down. The lighting and storage are not nearly as good but everything else works really well. I had always loved my home studio. It always felt like my place. As romantic as the official studio was, it never felt like home. It was a good first step, it checked a good number of boxes, but it was my studio. I am so grateful I had it for the time that I did. I know more clearly what I want when it is time to move out of my little home studio. I also know that, whether or not I pay rent for a spacious white walled studio, I am an Artist.
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November 2019
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