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Creative people need creative spaces. That much I’m sure. But working from home and juggling a balance betwen life, parenting, work and still having the creative energy necessary to create? That’s a balance that I’m finding harder nad harder to maintain.
I have a study. It’s a sun-room at the back of my house. But I don’t work there. It has a desk that is covered in unfolded washing and piles of fabric and boxes of old writing from years gone by. I don’t work there… I work here. On my rescued-from-the-side-of-the-road dining room table, surrounded by paintbrushes and water colours, magazines and books I intend to read (one day), wooden toys and chopping boards, crumbs and dust, inspiration and frustration.
I used to try to work in my study. But being home alone with a toddler means I need to work in the centre of my house. So I can balance short bursts of work in between pretending to be a dinosaur and having tea parties.
Where do you work? Have you found a creative life/space balance?
Josefa @always Josefa - I spend many hours working from home and sometimes there is much more frustration than inspiration. I would love to have a beautiful space, that is full of light and room to think and breathe and just let the words flow, but sadly the mountain of toys, the washing littered over the house and now the two house bunnies have other ideas. Playing dinosaurs and having tea parties does sound like a lovely distraction x
Sash - the distractions are lovely… but frustrating at times, when you’re already scraping the deadling barrel and the bottom of your bank account at the same time. You know how it is… x
Bec | Bloggers Bazaar - This looks much like my space 😉 it is a hard one juggling work and little ones at home. I try to do bits and pieces of work throughout the day on the dining table surrounded by many chores that can wait until later …
Sash - Most chores can wait for later… thankfully.
Vanessa - Mine’s on the dining table! My husband works in the office and the space isn’t feminine or creative enough for me so even when he’s not here I tend to avoid the space. I sprawl my stuff out either on our table or in the living area. Not ideal, but I have recently made an entire cabinet my own (that used to house my boys’ art and craft materials). It’s a beautiful console table. I tuck my work in there and that has made a huge difference. A little space for now and perhaps one day I’ll have a table to myself!
Sash - One big huge table would do me nicely too… 🙂
Sarah - You space looks much like mine – pretty and inspiring with plenty of the every-day mixed in (there’s one to many muesli bar wrappers and crumbs from breakfast scattered amongst the books and paintbrushes).
I will admit that I recently moved my desk into the bedroom! I was just over with spending so much time on the other side of the house, in a stuffy little room, far from the centre of our home. Now, I can tap away on my laptop early in the morning and still greet Sam when she wakes up, or paint and create whilst she’s sleeping at night. It’s kinda perfect for us at the moment. x
Sash - Whatever works! Your home always sounds like the perfect warm home of laughter and love. xx Lucky ladies. xx
Julie - Justin has an office with a closed door. I have a space at the beginning of the house near the entrance that is a combo of my sewing space, my desk and Jarvis’s play zone. I guess it is a contrast between being a Mum and being a Dad. I am in the center so Jarvis can always see me and we can stop and play. At first it was too bland and I did not sew for ages, slowly the space is filling up and it is becoming more me with touches of two year old boy.
Sash - Ha, isn’t that the perfect representation of the difference between the role of the mother and that of the father 🙂 I prefer to share my messy middle of the house space anyway (most of the time)… sticky fingerprints and all.
stephanie mballo - story of my life. i’m a photographer and have my computer set up the same way-crowded and not clean and definitely not a pretty, pinterest-worthy office space. but it works. i currently have a train track set up next to my computer so my son can play alongside me.
Andrea @ HMRM. - I can so relate to this. I’ve had visions of a beautiful studio for years now, but it just isn’t a reality with a small home and a little one running around. I have to say, I really don’t have much advice on the topic of working/family balance. The best thing anyone has ever told me is that balance is a myth. I try my best to schedule time to work and time to play with my daughter, but sometimes I end up neglecting one or the other, but it all balances out in the end. I think this is something that all creative women/mothers struggle with – how to give yourself enough creative space and time and energy, but not sacrifice too much time with your family. It’d hard all around and if it makes you feel better, I know you aren’t alone in this struggle.
Andrea - Hmmm, dilemma. I feel the need to set up upstairs in the centre of the house, but there is just not the room and painting needs the studio…unless I start different kinds of paintings.
The real issue is when the Trouble Monkey is up and about he is not interested in me doing anything for myself (or rather he is just too interested and I can’t do anything (same goes for trying to eat anything) And anything that resembles computer/paints/pencils/creative implements resembles a toy as far as he is concerned.
I think I need to wait till he is a bit bigger on that front. And snatch the time while he naps and sleeps.
Sash - Snatched moments is all we have in this house too! And as for the paints and brushes… they are all fair game. If I paint, we paint together. There isn’t any other way yet…