Living Our Dreams

Random Acts of Creativity Friday...May 1

Happy May Day Everyone!

I am off to my leadership training waaaay to early tomorrow morning, so I am posting the Random Acts of Creativity Friday post a tad early. Have fun with this one!

Today's Awakening: The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. ~Paul Valery

"Dream as if you'll live forever... live as if you'll die today "
~ James Dean

Extreme Studio Makeover: Part Three

The final voyage....the table is set, the students arrive and Creative Awakenings Adventure Camp begins!

Day is done...

Morning Altar

First Feisty Females Creativity and Adventure Camp

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, From the sky; All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. Fading light dims the sight, And a star gems the sky Gleaming bright, from a-far, Drawing nigh, Falls the night.

This song came to me this morning. It is a memory from childhoods years spent at sleep away camp. We had a phenomenal first camp...more details and video will be posted this week.

Extreme Studio Makeover One and Two posted!http://ping.fm/55mMk

Extreme Studio Makeover: Part Two

It was day two of Extreme Studio Makeover. Kathy and I had worked tirelessly all day on Friday and my body was feeling it. Yep, I am almost 50 gals, those snap back days are long behind me! Decisions had been made, things thrown away, yet the space actually looked like a tornado had blown through! It was time for a shopping trip to contain the clutter. 

Kathy was nice enough to meet me at our new Target. I had already seen my dream studio bins, but had not purchased anything until I knew I needed them and they would function well within the space. I also was looking for a more functional art table. The one I had was great, it was almost 30 years old, but it took up a lot of room and had no storage below it. I was looking for a kitchen cart, but it had to be the perfect cart at the right price. When on a budget, my advice, go with a list and a friend who can keep you from throwing tempting, useless, shiny items in your cart, that will not serve the purpose. 

Part two of Extreme Makeover will show you what we found. 

Stay tuned....Our next addition (Part Three) will feature the finished studio and scenes from our first Feisty Females Creative Awakenings Adventure Camp, here this weekend. Do you think we can fit 9 creative people in 165 sq ft? I am still a tad nervous...so keep your fingers crossed.

Inspiration: Extreme Studio Makeover

It must be spring, I could feel the urge to clear my home and freshen things up. I tend to be like the birds, I nest in spring. After our cold dark winters, it's time to wipe of the red dust, throw open the shades, and open the doors wide!

I knew it was coming, I would look around my place and it felt like we were living in a college dorm. Papers were scattered everywhere, winter boots, coats and skis still lurked in the hallway needing some TLC. Mind you, I am not a clean freak, but I get to a certain point, where it just feels overwhelming and claustrophobic, so when my hubby left on Monday for a 3 week Grand Canyon trip-can you say jealous-I decided it was time for EXTREME HOUSE and STUDIO MAKEOVER.

The real inspiration came when I received a notice that Interweave Press-Cloth, Paper Scissor, STUDIO Magazine was having a sale...3 STUDIOS for $20.00. Oooooh la, la...the time spent on the trip out and back to L.A. was filled with hours of drooling, dreaming and sketching in my journal. What I loved about the editions, was that it featured all kinds of studios, from tiny closets, to gorgeous custom two story dream studios. 

One of the most inspiring for me, was the story about artist Lesley Riley who works at times on her bed, thus proving what I have always believed...creativity is REALLY not always about the space. It's about making the time to make it happen. Over the years, I have worked in a corner of a 700 sq ft studio apartment, on the floor on a tarp in my bedroom and in a studio I had on Main Street in town until the rent was raised, at which time we moved to our current house and I brought the studio home. I like working at home for a variety of reasons, the most of which is that I can head over to my studio anytime the Muse whispers. I also like the Green factor: less driving, conserving energy and keeping our financial expenses to a comfortable level = sustainability. 

Since moving out of my Main Street studio space, I have written a book and created a ton of art for the pages, but in doing so, I had to break apart the studio and writing areas from my client space, because I really needed a place to spread out and not have to worry about cleaning up. 

The solution? My living room became my studio and a corner under our stairway became the writing area. This did the trick, but I was constantly in the hubby's space. The walls in the hallway downstairs became a giant story board. The walls in the living room were covered with pieces of drywall and became an inspiration board and painting staging area. Andy was UBER patient while the book took over our home for 2 years, but we were both ready for CHANGE! So this is how Extreme House-Studio Makeover was born! This video is part one of the makeover. 

Our mission? To convert 3 separate working areas into one functional 165 sq ft space for me, my clients and teaching small workshops. Our budget? Re-use, reduce, recycle and spend only where it will enhance space and functionality. 

I want to thank the following people for their help. Kathy Beckwith for moral support and the ability to "see space!" Ken Beckwith who came to the rescue putting together the kitchen cart which was designed as a torture device and Terry McShane who rescued me when I realized that 6-ft of drywall really does weigh more than I do! 

I will share with you my budget in part two. 

Extreme Studio Makeover

Our Mission? Take 3 separate areas of the house and combine them into a working studio/client space that is only 165 sq ft. 

Mission accomplished. 

Coming soon...the video! 

Random Acts of Creativity is posted http://ping.fm/SRsRJ