Before:
After:
This seemingly minor upgrade comes with two rather significant benefits.
1) Efficiency: Whereas before there was only room for two stacks, the new system allows for three; New Unused Paper (bottom), Penciled Pages (middle), and Inked Pages (top), all conveniently within reach just under my tool side-table. These of course only pertain to the issue/chapter/project at hand. All previously finished chapters go into the flat files in the garage.
2) Mood elevation: I don't know about other people, but if my place of operation is schlubby, then my brain and general demeanor is schlubby. And a box with a stack of paper on it as a method of organization? It's schlubby. This may be the designer/borderline-OCD in me, but an improperly designed space just ads to my brain fog and keeps me from being able to think straight, and thinking straight is key to the type (and quantity) of work I do.
I've recently come to the decision that an artist's space need not be treated any less than a temple of creativity. Not to sound pretentious or anything, but if you think about a temple or any place of worship, it's design will always have two chief concerns: a) Functionality, and b) Atmosphere
Very practical decisions are made pertaining to seating arrangements, pedestal placement, so on and so forth, all of which have to do with the actual rituals and actions that need to be performed within such a religious space. Very functional stuff. And then, there's the stuff pertaining to atmospherics that might aid in creating a certain spiritual mood. Things like stained glass, murals, inscriptions, or the choice of incense.
It's probably a good idea to take these two chief concerns into consideration when setting up any artist's space as well. Except, rather than be shaped by religious motives, they are instead shaped by creative concerns. Everything needs to be designed as per the artist's functional needs, but the atmosphere must also be designed to inspire creativity. These two together will inform a workspace that will help an artist work seamlessly day in, day out.
For the curious, the two pieces of furniture utilized in pix above are:
– Giantex Mobile End Table
– Three-Tier Shoe Rack