It’s warm. A day to close up and run the air, stay cool inside. Summer. Finally a day off, a day to rest, recover, and write. Thinking back on days like this when I had my studio. My studio. I like the way it sounds. Even more, I liked what my studio gave me.
My studio gave me legitimacy as an artist. An artist mentions working in their studio, and it automatically equals professional, serious artist, a creative life lived fully. Legitmacy is just one of the many things my studio gave me.
Letting go of my studio was a tough decision to make, but necessary. Letting go of the dedicated space of my studio has shifted my creative life, and my creative business into a new phase.
There’s relief in it, acceptance. Days off are truly days off, and painting is only for teaching, or for pleasure.
Since the studio, I began teaching a painting class for the City of Folsom every Thursday morning. It’s a lovely facility with kind-hearted people working, and attending classes (Senior Art Center 48 Natoma Street, 916-461-6601). I’m truly honored to have this extremely rewarding art teaching gig at this time in my career.
Since the studio, along with teaching art in Folsom, and working hard at my job as a Senior Bookseller for Barnes & Noble, I’ve been focusing on self care, enjoying my friendships, singing, reading, writing, and all of the little things that make up daily life.
I still talk about the studio, now even after months of having it in my rearview. It’s with a hint of sadness I mention that I had a professional Art Studio for seven years, but for various reasons had to let it go.
Honestly, I have not painted very much since the studio. The studio gave me the annual end goal of filling the space with new work for Open Studio each September. Without it, I am liberated from having to paint to fill a space, or meet a deadline.
Painting now happens for either teaching demonstration during class, or for the pure enjoyment of it at home. Though painting sittings in my home studio have been rare since leaving my professional studio, I’m not pushing it. I’m not pushing myself creatively anymore. There’s really no reason to push my painting now, and I always find creativity in my life whether it's painting, singing, or writing.
I’ve spent a lifetime painting. There have always been periods of time when little to no painting occurs. Sometimes even years go on with no, or very little painting. These off painting times are used to replenish, and re-gather focus.
Since the studio, I've learned a lot about myself. I see that legitimacy comes from the lifetime I've dedicated to my art practice, not having a dedicated space.
Most importantly life for me has moved on since the studio. Michelle Cordova Art is still a work in progress, only in a new phase of things.
That's all. Thank you for reading.
MC
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