Every art and/or craft studio should show personality, whether serene, humorous, energetic, modern or whatever fits you. One of the items in my studio, although small, is the little guy shown here. He hangs on a long spring and glides up and down over my art table. It is something that makes me smile. It is something I set into action and just gaze at to clear my mind for new ideas. It's very calming, kind of like watching angel fish in a fish tank, and helps me to put my problems to the side for awhile.
It is also a reminder that takes me back to a very happy day in Germany when my husband and I were there celebrating our 25th anniversary. It's funny how one little item, photo or even a scent can bring back memories. When I see this character I recall the wonderful weather we had that day, the walk down the narrow street past the small quaint sidewalk cafe, and I clearly remember the moment we walked into the shop and found him, visiting with the clerk and having to purchase him. The clerk carefully wrapped him up in tissue for his long flight back to the U.S.A. He made me smile then and I still smile when I walk into my studio and see him ready for another flight. The photo of the lamb in front of my art table (visible on a recent post) is another happy memory and makes me smile. When I was young, raised on a farm, a neighbor gave us a baby lamb that had been orphaned. We would rock her in the rocking chair as we gave her a bottle of warm formula. She grew up running around the yard with the other pets and thinking she was a dog, even chasing cars down the driveway. When company came they would have to go very slowly since all they could see was her back as she hopped around the car. We had a wrap-around porch and you could hear her hoofs as she decided to bump the cats off the porch, playfully hopping on all fours. She played and ate scraps with the dog and when I would come home from school she knew I would have a treat for her, a stick of red licorice.
Do you have something in your studio that brings back good memories or something that just makes you smile or even giggle when you see it? I encourage you to incorporate several things into your studio that make you happy and/or help you recall precious memories, not just of your past, but of friends you have met along the way and others that inspire you. These are things that not only define who you are and how you came to be the artist you now are, but also help make your studio part of your home and a place you want to spend time.
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