Crippity-Crap: Moving

[yousername]

Well, I'm in at more than one school, so I will definitely be enrolled (somewhere) in the Fall. This creates a problem that a lot of the people on this board are probably experiencing. I have to move. And I had no idea how much crap I'd accumulated.

I am cleaning up my studio area in anticipation of having to move sometime within the next few months, and it's awful. I have a home studio, so there is all kinds of overlap in terms of where my materials and workspace are, and where I sleep. Moving the possessions related to living/sleeping/ eating doesn't seem as difficult as moving what I use for making art.

I am worried about establishing a new space, in a new city, and having to create in that space. Not to be lame, but the energy of my studio space is important to me, and I am concerned that I will have difficulty transferring that energy to a big blank studio 6 hours away.

Is anyone else feeling this yet, or are we all still waiting for letters?

[piper]

I'm still waiting for one school, but am anticipating going somewhere in the fall. My current workspace is pretty cluttered so anything else is better than what I have now. I'm also stripping down to the bare-sentials, meaning selling/giving away things I don't need so I'll have less stuff to move and more cash in the pocket. I'm curious as to what your disciple is. I do animation, so I'm pretty mobile - I just need a drawing desk and computer.

[mpayzant]

I'm right with you. I'm looking at moving across the country wherever I end up enrolling (been accepted to a few places for painting). I made a move similar to this about 3 years ago and my work stopped dead in its tracks for about 6 months after the move. I definitely agree about the energy of the studio space etc, so I'm trying to find a way around the "block" I fear may be coming.

I think I'm going to try and put myself in the mindset that this move is actually just another art project I'm working on. I'm going to take my time moving and document the process through drawing, writing and taking photos. As long as I don't stop making art for a long period of time, I think the transition will be easier.

I also bought several plastic bins that I use to seperate tools, and art-making things (brushes, paint etc) from my everyday stuff. Then I just have to move a few bins to my studio and a few into my bedroom at the new destination and I should be pretty well set up. That's just me though.

Check out the book "Art and Fear" (by David Bayles and Ted Orland) as well. That's a must-have book during a huge transition like this.

[yousername]

I'm still waiting on MICA, but they'd have to give me a lot of aid to beat out MassArt. I am a sculptor/ performance/ new genres person. So I am at once very portable in my practice and very settled at the moment. Part of me thinks moving will be very inspiring, and the other part thinks I'm headed for a huge block.

Thanks for the book recommendation! I am always buying art books and then hating them... it is far better to have someone's word for it than to just grab something.