The Pros and Cons of a Home Studio

My studio is my sanctuary. I have always had a space within my home in which to create, starting with a drafting table when I was in high school that sat in the bedroom I shared with my sister. Fast forward to today, and my studio exists within a large open lower level space of my split foyer home. One half of the room houses my work space and supplies. The other half is filled with a sleeper sofa for visiting guests to use, my husband’s collection of sports memorabilia, and enough children’s toys to fill an old Toys ‘R Us building.

Years ago, I visited a building that was divided into artist studios and thought seriously about renting one of them in which to do my work. Ultimately, I decided at the time that it just didn’t make sense. I liked the idea of having a working space outside of my home in order to provide some separation of my work and home life, but I had a spare bedroom in my house that provided enough space for me to create happily, without the expense of my travel time or a monthly rental fee.

There are a lot of benefits to having a home studio. For example, you don’t even have to get dressed to go to work. You can roll out of bed and hop right into the studio in your pajamas without another person seeing you. You can make a pot of coffee and start your day slowly and quietly, without having to rush through a morning routine or fight rush hour traffic.

I often find the close proximity to everything else I need at home to be convenient. When I get hungry I can walk up a flight of steps and into my kitchen to make myself a healthy lunch. I can be home for important appointments and expected deliveries. Plus, it’s nice to be able to deduct a portion of my house’s space and living expenses for my business when tax time rolls around.

I still love having a home studio because of the flexibility it provides, but sometimes I find myself dreaming of a separate space outside of my house in which to create. The main reason for this daydream? Boundaries, or a lack thereof. This wasn’t an issue for me until I had kids. Now however, I trip over toys on my way to my easel and am often interrupted by sweet kids who sneak into the studio when they miss me on a Saturday that is a designated painting day. I don’t have a solution for any of these “problems” right now. It is just the season that I am in. I am grateful that I have a space in which to create, so I guess the lesson here is to make the best use of whatever you have to work with, even if there are toys scattered about, or if it is just a dining table or even a desk that you clear off after your 9-5. And also know that it’s ok to dream and plan for bigger and better things, maybe someday.