Sometimes unexpected things have wonderful consequences. For months I have been struggling to find a quiet place to work in my studio. Unfortunately we have not been blessed with quiet, or even vaguely considerate neighbours, and as the weather warms they appeared to have taken up permanent residence outside, which was very close to the area I was using as my studio, which meant I also got to share their day with them. Not always conducive to working, and sometimes down right annoying. I have spent many weeks complaining to Matthew and Phoebe and then it suddenly struck me that perhaps a move of venue might help.
For years the back room has been our dumping ground. It has alternately been drum room, exercise room, junk room and general horrible space, but then during the Easter break my lovely husband had gotten in and cleared it and painted it, and with the new carpet that we had installed in the rest of the house it had become a very swish and stylish exercise room. I mentioned on Sunday morning that perhaps it would make a suitable studio, but perhaps it was a little small, but before I knew it Matt had gotten in and started moving things, and by late Monday I had a lovely new space which is absolutely perfect. No more noisy neighbours, no more people trooping through my space, no more sharing the space with school bags, homework and that elusive pencil nabber that mysteriously steals pencils, pens and scissors when my back is turned, and instead I have this lovely little quiet room tucked away from the hustle and bustle.
Now I look out over the pool and the back yard, and while this is looking a bit end of winter sad at the moment, it is just lovely. The trees are all mature and create a lovely green privacy screen, and the reflections from the pool create a lovely dappled light, and even better I get to avoid the incredibly bright afternoon sun that made it hard to work in the afterschool hours in the old room, which makes a wonderful area for the exercise equipment as it turns out. I also have the space to myself and can even shut the door, so I am seeing all sorts of possibilities like being able to work in the evening after Phoebe is in bed and Matt is engrossed in the football. The simple joys of having a door, not to mention a the luxury of a space that is mine alone!!
I am feeling more positive and motivated than I have felt in months. I had no idea how much the noise and constant coming and going of the neighbours had been getting me down, but I feel as though I have had a new burst of energy. It has also struck me how we often overlook the most obvious solutions because we are so used to seeing things in a certain way. It really helps to think about things without the mental habits we carry around with us. Of course without Matt's hard work I probably would have dismissed it completely, but his enthusiasm and willingness to jump into things worked out wonderfully in this instance and I can't wait to see what having this wonderful little space will do to my creative output!
