SPACES ON MY MIND / 2

Every weekday from 9am to 6pm, I sit in a dark room with two of my coworkers. There are no skylights, no windows, unless you count the glass partition that separates our room from the office hallway. We do have a nice view though - oh wait, that's just the wall decal cut in the shape of a city skyline.

Lit only by a floor lamp and the light of our monitors (granted, two of us have 27" mac monitors and we could turn on those horrific fluorescent overheads), we pass the hours in our cave, itching for an excuse to feel the warmth of the California sun on our skin. Do we really need to take that trip to Walgreens? The answer is "yes" if it is a sunny day, which - one should note - has constituted about 90% of my days since my move to the west coast.

I like going to work and have a pretty good time with my coworkers, but I'm beginning to think that the lack of natural light in our room is starting to effect my health, mood, and *heaven forbid* my productivity at work. The officemates and I have talked about sprucing up our room to make the space feel more...at least... livable. Bookshelves, desk lamps, inspirational posters - but I don't think we'll truly be able to escape our room's dreary "cave effect" until we punch a giant hole in the ceiling to let in some natural light. (If you couldn't tell, I just really want to bring in some plants to fill the space with more life, but alas, plants are really a no-go in a room without the very thing they need to survive.)

So, until we're featured in an episode of an Extreme Makeover: Office Edition or move office buildings, my space-envy will continue for whoever get to enjoy these light and life-filled spaces currently on my mind.

How do you feel about your office spaces? What are your *musts* for your workspace?

d.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Yesteday morning, J and I drove to a neighboring town about 15 minutes from home to check out a potential studio space... and friends, I have to say it was love at first sight. Tucked away in the corner of a little park, the small studio sits atop a creek and has the most incredible natural light. Um, also there is ivy creeping in through the cracks below the windows. Is it weird that I find that absolutely charming?

God knows how this studio became available for me to find on Craigslist - I feel it's almost too good to be true. But... as of this afternoon, this beautiful space will be my future studio. The studio manager and I shook on it. (Apparently, shaking hands is her thing. Side note, she has been at these studios for 36 years).

The studio will be mine to move into this coming week and I'm sure I'll have more photos to share as I get settled. I feel like I'm jumping the gun by sharing these photos before I've actually moved in and officially secured this space as mine (how good are handshakes really?) but I couldn't help myself. (Is this how pregnant women feel during their first trimester?)

While it is not equipped with a printing studio like I'm used to, I'm sure I can make do. After months of dreaming about a studio space, this is literally a dream come true. Stay tuned, friends :) Really excited to get in there and start creating. Eep!

love, d.

WISDOM FOR THE WEEK

Friends have recently started asking me for updates on my studio practice, my art making since I've moved to California, and truth be told, I have not much to update them on. My 27" iMac at work has become my everyday companion and I haven't rolled out ink on tabletops in nearly half a year. 

It actually terrifies me to admit this in writing, because I do not want to let them down - those who so graciously think that one day I will have a print show in the city. But where I am in my life right now, that guilt trip might be the factor that most motivates me to get back into a studio.

Self-motivation just doesn't cut it sometimes. So a heartfelt thank you to those who believe in me (more than I believe in myself) and hold me accountable to my creative potential. 

I won't let you down.

LIVING A SIMPLER LIFE

This past weekend, I made my first post in the FREE section of craigslist.

The post was for my TI-83 graphing calculator, an object I've for some reason held on to for the last 7 years - throughout high school, college, through my move from Korea to New Hampshire to California.  As a history and art major, I had absolutely no need for it in college, but it's always been there, in the heaps of sentimental "oh-it'll-be-useful-someday" stuff I seem to drag along with me wherever I plant myself. 

Within 30 minutes of posting, I received a response from a man named Tom. 

His yahoo email address sketched me out initially and I will admit that I ran through a number of kidnapping scenarios in my head (obviously too much Criminal Minds), but here was a man who was willing to drive 30 minutes to pick up a graphing calculator for his high school son. So we arranged to meet at the train station near my home.

The handoff was quick and friendly. He shook my hand, thanked me for doing this, told me his son will get great use out of this calculator, got back in his car and drove off. 

A non-eventful event really, but it made me feel great. 

I've started to think more about what kind of life I want and I think it's starting to boil down to the realisation that I want a simpler life. This doesn't mean I want to live in shapeless linen shifts in the middle of nowhere (although that doesn't sound terrible really), I want to make an effort to pare my life down to meaningful essentials. 

I want to get rid of those other TI-83s in my life and curate an intentional, simple collection of beautiful, quality essentials in terms of the things I have, the home I live in, the relationships I have, the lifestyle I live. (Yes, I write this as I await the delivery of a pair of hot-pink J. Crew corduroys, but I anticipate a learning curve.)

I'm realising that simplicity is something I've come to value increasingly in the last few years, and I want it to be something that permeates the life I live. 

Here's to taking steps towards a greater, simpler life. 

photo taken by josh

STUDIO HUNTING

Half a year into the so-called "real world," I'm finally getting around to looking for an art space to continue my studio practice. Ideally, this amazing studio would be part of my equally amazing abode, but alas, our 500 sq. ft apartment has no space for my creative mess, so off I go to search through craigslist. So far I've been surprised to discover the dearth of studio spaces available on the peninsula.

I actually scoped out a great studio space this weekend just a short bike ride from home, and as much as I loved it, it was above my price-point. Even still, I was considering taking the studio with the idea of finding a studio-partner in mind, but before I could even put out an ad to find someone to share the space with, I received an email this morning telling me that the studio had already been grabbed. Sigh. I guess it was not meant to be. If any of you know anyone in the bay area, please let me know if you hear of any studio availabilities on the peninsula! 

With my real-life 20-something-year-old budget, I will probably be lucky to find a level table somewhere in a partially-sunny, communal studio space on the peninsula, but I thought it couldn't hurt to share several beautiful studio spaces that have the meat and bones of my dream studio.

Who's not to say that one day I'll be working out of a space like these?

Image via: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

HERE WE GO

This time last year, I could never have predicted I would be where I am now.

2012 has made me feel so blessed, in many unexpected ways. And while, I again have no idea what 2013 will bring, I am excited. I know it won't all be easy, with several curveballs thrown my way, but I'm determined to make it a good year, a year filled with love, creativity, and beautiful adventures.

I hope you will be a part of it.

REAL LIFE / KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

So continuing from my last post, I've quickly realized that with real spaces to decorate and fantasize about, comes the necessity to equip that space with essentials. Guided by the list of Kitchen Essentials from The Every Girl, I've been on a quest of sorts to seek out essential tools for the kitchen that I would actually purchase, essentials that are both aesthetically pleasing and budget friendly. Every item featured on this post is under $50.  

I know some of you are in a similar situation in which you're challenged with the task to outfit your first apartment on a real-life budget so I thought I'd share some of my findings in hopes to make things a little easier and more beautiful :) Enjoy & stay tuned for more Real Life posts!

SHOP

one | two | three | four | five

measuring spoons | pig dish towel | cutting board