Some weeks, life just has other plans. This was one of those weeks—family emergency, medical appointments, product sample deadlines… all doing their best to shove my weekly zine off the schedule. Don’t get me wrong, the zine is not optional. It’s my “deadline gym,” the thing that keeps my creative muscles strong. But some weeks I have to deal with the fact that stuff happens.
And when it happens, I inevitably find myself on the treadmill watching artist YouTube videos for “motivation.” You know the ones: perfect north-facing windows, ergonomic chairs you need a loan to buy, spotless white IKEA shelves with rainbow-organized sketchbooks, and absolutely zero barking dogs or real-life commitments in sight.
These creators have all day to practice their brush strokes, rearrange their paint racks by hue, and post time-lapse videos of their latest “I’m still finding my style” session. It’s my guilty pleasure, watching these curated workspaces, even though I know they’re mostly staged for the camera, not for commission deadlines or messy real-life projects.
Then there’s the other type of creator—the ones who take themselves on “artist dates,” hike for miles to nature journal rare fungi, tour countless art supply stores (what do they do with all those things they buy?), or rent a studio in some quaint French village to capture the same light Monet once did.
Sometimes I just want to yell, “How can you do all of this and produce enough art to make money?” Then I remember—it’s not the art paying for that lifestyle. And I laugh, because I know creativity comes in many forms. I even tried the YouTuber route once and discovered that videography took more work than drawing. For me, it had to be one or the other, and drawing won.
Meanwhile, my creative space looks like a tornado parked itself and stayed for lunch. But you know what? That’s real life. And real life makes you resourceful. It makes you fast. It forces you to make your art happen in the five minutes between responsibilities, with coffee rings and dog hair as your constant companions.
The only perfect studio is the one in your imagination—and that’s okay.
P.S. This week’s zine will be out on Friday. My apologies for the lateness, but I think you understand 😀
