3 Reasons to Clean Out Your Art Studio Right Now

How I Feel Before
I Clean Out My Studio

I seem to recall that I usually blog about cleaning out your art studio and supplies this time of year, you know, Spring cleaning and all of that. A cliché, maybe, but really a necessity for artists.
A necessity? Really? Why is that?

Three reasons.

Number One. It’s cathartic, and we artists need a good catharsis every now and then, don’t you think? Otherwise, we are prone to get moody, huffy, even surly, on occasion. A good cleaning, a re-cycling, a throwing-away is just what the doctor ordered to overcome surliness.

Number Two. A cluttered art space does nothing but clutter the mind. A cluttered mind does not usually make for a clear-thinking mind. Artists need a clear, open space to work. They, likewise, need a clear open mind in which to conjure and create, to muse and meditate, to plan and paint (draw, sculpt, etc.). I’m a proponent of a clutter-free studio because I believe it leads to the crisp and clear or the dark and moody or whatever your mind and hands want to create.

Number Three. As the old saying goes, if you don’t know where you are, how are you going to get where you’re going? By this I mean, if you don’t know what you currently have in the way of tools and supplies, how can you possibly be ready to promulgate your next creation? You probably have too much of one thing and not enough of another or none of what you actually need and some things you don’t need at all. Case in point--when I was using pastels a couple of years ago, I learned a jar of rice was good way to clean your pastel sticks. Guess what I found on a shelf, taking up valuable space? A big jar of rice for my pastels that I haven’t used in forever. Into the recycling bin it (the plastic jar) went.

So, get out your cleanser and your vacuum and your mop. Get ready to sift through, to sort out, to re-cycle, and to discard. You will then be ready to attack your next work of art.

How I Feel After
I Clean Out My Studio

Oh yes, and…

Happy Painting!