Feng Shui for Artists

July 7, 2007

paintroom1.jpg

Although I don’t know that much about feng shui, I have learned this — face my desk towards a wall and I don’t get anything done. Why? Probably because I don’t even want to sit at it. It always seems to make sense to put a desk up against a wall to efficiently use space, but when my sewing desk faced a wall, I never made anything. When I turned it outwards towards the room, I started getting a lot of quilts done.

Today I decided to to reorganize the back room of my studio. This is the room where I usually dye fabric, make messes, and hide stuff that no one including me wants to see. My painting table here faced the wall, and all I ever did was pile stuff on it.

Now the table is in the middle of the room. Granted looks towards some ugly shelves, but it’s not facing a wall. Although it may looks cluttered, really it’s organized now. Before I had all my paints together, but was always trying to figure out which were water-based, which were for fabric, etc. Now my watercolors and acrylics are on one cart, pastels on another, oil paints and dyes on separate shelves. According to this article on Feng Shui for Artists, it’s not necessary to create a serene zen-like room, but to create a vibrant energy to support your flow of creativity.

paintroom2.jpg

This whole organization frenzy to make room for painting was inspired by last night’s First Friday Art Walk where I saw paintings by artist Michi Susan. But how unsatisfying to spend a Saturday cleaning? So about five I sat down with a bowl of M&M’s to enjoy my new oasis of organization and play with my paints.

Maybe I should hang some pretty fabric to cover the ugly shelves. They maybe ugly, but very handy — they hold up the wall that I use to photograph my art on the other side.

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Comments

11 Comments so far

  1. Gerrie on July 8, 2007 10:57 am

    Thanks for sharing that link. I love her work. I see some Chagall in her work - he is one of my faves. I always have to have a seat at a desk or a table where I am facing away from a wall - even in a restaurant. When I had to work in a cubicle, I finally quit my job, I couldn’t take it.

  2. PaMdora on July 8, 2007 11:33 am

    Hi Gerrie, I’ve never really had a 9-5 job, although sometimes I tried to pretend for the sake of looking respectable and to the detriment of my sanity and health! I grew up in a state capitol, and wondered what all those people were doing inside those big office buildings from 9-5.
    p.s. I love Chagall.

  3. Kit on July 8, 2007 12:03 pm

    I feel the same way about a desk that faces a wall. I cannot sit at it. In my case, I am lucky enough to have a work table that looks out onto a view of the St Lawrence river. The river is always there therefore is not distracting. Instead it is reassuring.
    Your shelves don’t look ugly to me. They appear to be full of neat stuff to play with. Function defines beauty in my view. Your photo wall says it all.

    kit

  4. PaMdora on July 8, 2007 12:36 pm

    Hi Kit, I was thinking about listing some of the things on those shelves, because there are some stories there!

    I would love to look out a river. I grew up in a river town and miss it sometimes.

  5. Alyson B. Stanfield on July 8, 2007 1:27 pm

    I hope your new desk location brings you the energy you desire. Sometimes, feng shui seems to be mostly common sense. It just has to feel right.

    And how fun to see Michi’s work here! Michi not only makes beautiful art, but she is one of the backbones of the art scene in Oklahoma City. A perfectly delightful woman.

  6. PaMdora on July 8, 2007 11:39 pm

    I think you’re right Alyson, most of what I know about feng shui is just what I feel when I go a sit at a place. I sit and try to think if it feels good, and if I would like to work or relax there, and if I don’t, I change my chair or something. Some places do have bad fung shui though, no matter what you do.

    I was so enthralled with Michi’s work when I saw it in a local gallery. The gallery owner knows her well, and from her description of Michi, I really wished I could meet her. Probably the Japanese-American connection has a big pull, but I didn’t know about that when I was first attracted to her work.

  7. Linda Kanagawa on July 9, 2007 9:43 am

    The minute I saw your paint shelves I thought, “She’ll soon be covering those shelves with bits of fabric, posters, a new art book, cartoons and decoratorscapes.” I don’t see any labels on your boxes. Don’t you have a label maker?

    I love your painting.

    MOM

  8. Felicia on July 9, 2007 4:12 pm

    My studio was a complete wreck and I am finally getting into some sort of organized shape. Yours is looking great :)

  9. Sherrie on July 9, 2007 4:12 pm

    Organizing on a Saturday…that’s okay…I was removing wallpaper. :) I like the shelves. If you painted them a bright color they would really pop.

  10. Trisha on August 8, 2007 5:38 pm

    Hi! I have been silently reading your wonderful blog for about a year now, but one thing this entry said really provided a WOW moment for me! I LOVE the fact that you turned your desk from facing a wall. I moved recently, and set up my new studio with the desk facing the wall, and couldn’t figure out why I hated the space so much. Now I know. THANK YOU!

  11. PaMdora on August 9, 2007 11:11 am

    Wow Trisha, so glad something I wrote helped someone else. It took me a while to figure this out, so I hope you get your studio to where you love to be it!!

    It was great to hear from you. Let me know if it works to rearrange your space.

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