MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR OFFICE/STUDIO-SPACE!

Last week I promised I'd use my next blog entry to talk about how to make the most out of a studio/ office-room with limited space (and budget). I had to make the recent move from my studio back home, and set about trying to create a good working space within a small single bedroom (which already housed a wardrobe & chest of drawers that couldn't be moved elsewhere).

Desk Area

The first thing to do is to consider what you will use the room for and to work from there. I know that sounds like a very basic requirement, but think about what space you need, and measure and plan and do a bit of research before committing to buy. Forget about what you've seen in magazines, or in furniture stores, the key is to make it work for you and your work. There's no point buying a big desk, only to find that you're mostly working on your laptop and the rest becomes a dumping ground. Storage should be a major consideration - think about what will work, what you need to hand, and what can be put out of reach. For example, I use a sturdy under-bed storage box on top of the wardrobe, as it fits perfectly, but keeps all my postage paraphenalia together and out of the way.

Inking-up desk tidied away

Printing Area

From my own experience, I knew I needed three things: clean desk area for drawing/ carving; area for my press and then an area for inking up. For the messy inking up area I decided to use a 'mobile' option, so I bought a cheap but fairly sturdy fold away table, covering it in PVC for the ink. It literally fits under the desk when not in use, or can be folded away at the end of the desk. As for the desk, I needed a long narrow space to work on and so decided to get storage options underneath the desk. one 'open' area for books and another set of drawers for hiding away inks, rollers, lino blocks and other bits. I think that's the key to making a space work for you. Having everything to hand and easily accessible is really important, but you don't have to look at it all the time. The drawers are perfect for that.

pots of pens etc

The desk is long enough to house my printer at one end; pots of stuff at the other and my guillotine; leg room and a 'desk' area; and space to house the inking table underneath. For the general desk-area, I've used tins of different sizes - great for my pegs and string and pens and pencils. It's a compact space, and I could do with more storage areas / shelves for paper and filing storage, but it works for the time being and until I return to an external studio. The desk (inc. drawers and shelving) was about €100 from Ikea. It is a bit of an investment, but this matched my specific needs. You might be able to grab an online/ live auction bargain - try to buy a desk because it works for you, not because you need a desk (you might not even need a desk at all!)


As I mentioned in my last blog entry, one of the things that works for me is to tidy at the end of the day and get the space ready for the next morning... mine is always this tidy... did I say always... I meant never.

About working from home

The Printing Rooms is now live - great news - have a look: www.theprintingrooms.com. During the period of going live I moved my studio to my spare room and there are definitely pros and cons. I thought I'd make this entry helpful for those of you who are working from home, and share my 'tips' and my moans about it... and, for anyone in the same boat, I would love to hear your secrets for a happy working life from home.

Firstly, the internet. Lovely lovely, helpful, informative, distracting internet. Whole days can be wasted away on the internet, so my tip is to turn it on first thing, check, update, research, and then switch it off - turning computers on and off is a pain, so you're less likely to be drawn to it. (I never stick to this rule...ever, so maybe this wasn't the best tip to start with..).

Tidying your space/desk - now this really does work for me. Even if I have spent a good 14 hour day working in my studio from home (which I have in the run up to the website going live), I will still spend a good chunk of time clearing and tidying my space before I hang up my rollers for the evening. I could easily waste a day cleaning the studio if I let myself, so doing it at the end of a day is a good motivator to get it done quickly and prepare for the next day. It also means there are no excuses the next morning. It's now so ingrained, it's become as much a part of my day as finding ways to avoid doing work!

Managing your time - lists. I have made lists that were entirely impossible to complete, but after a month or so of doing it regularly I now have a good system. At the end of each week, I will write out a list of tasks for the week, but  each evening/morning I will write out a list of tasks for the following/ that day. This way, I know exactly what needs to be done and when - I do switch around and re-write lists, so nothing is set in stone. The daily task list then has more focus on the exact requirements. For example, weekly task list might have: 'finish Heart plate', but the daily list for a Monday might say, 'draw plate, cut plate, test-print plate'. The more you put on the more you can cross off (Is that cheating? I've stopped short of writing 'get up, shower, have breakfast etc'...  only recently). (another good tip is to have a task list for a project, i.e. every single task that needs to be done towards completion, so that you can refer to that so you don't forget anything)

Managing your time, deadlines - Cons, tendency to put too much pressure on yourself. Pros, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week of being able to work at your own pace. Cons, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week to have no excuse not to work. As a home-worker you need to be self-motivated and organised, and you need to set yourself deadlines. The best approach is to be realistic. When I chose a date for the site to go live, it was all systems go, and at times it was touch and go about whether I'd get it done on time. It's often much easier to work towards someone else's deadline. When it's self-imposed it's easier to let yourself down.. so pick a deadline, and stick with it and don't let others talk you out of it.

Office-politics - there is none, hurray!

I'd love to hear any other tips out there. Next week's blog will be about setting up a home-studio with limited space and budget (I could just write it now in one sentence - Went to Ikea!)