Keeping creative and productive is a big part of my wellness strategy. If I am busy in my shop, my activity levels are higher, and my moods are positive. Whether this affects my immune system positively, I’m not sure. But, like my garden, my shop keeps me engaged. And being engaged makes me feel better. The main focus of my creative ventures is the carving shop.
The carving shop is an eight-by-ten-foot greenhouse. It is the proverbial five-pound bag with ten pounds shoved into it. I have no choice but to periodically reorganize things to find them. Space is at a premium, to be blunt. “Don’t you also have the basement shop?” you ask. Well, yes, but since last fall, I’ve had to spend considerable time cleaning up after our town’s Biblical flood, and it’s never been a pleasant place to work. So the little greenhouse/workshop is where ninety percent of what I regularly need winds up and where ninety percent of the work happens.
The shot above shows what it looked like this morning. A large schooner carving and a schooner diorama are in the process ( more about the diorama soon). Behind that are large tool cabinets that hold a collection of planes and other needed but rarely used tools.
It’s a great shop to carve in, with plenty of light and comfortable working conditions in the spring, summer, and fall. Yes, it is a bit of a challenge in January and February, but no workplace is perfect, and I regularly schedule design activities out of the shop during those months. One of the things I love about my shop is its proximity to my garden. I step outside, and there it is.
The main issue with a tiny shop is that if you have more than one project at a time, there is no space to put them. That is the problem right now, with multiple carvings in process and several more in planning.
Many craftspeople I know have special spaces for their work. Whether the space is large or small, it hardly matters. The important thing is whether you feel capable of creating in it. Being active and creative is a large part of an individual’s wellness strategy.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
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Lou, would it be possible someday to increase your shop space with perhaps another 8’x10′ greenhouse?
I’ve thought about it, but I’m more likely to build an overhanging covered area for storage of wood and stable supplies. That would free up an incredible amount of space.
Sounds good!
The proximity to the garden is a definite plus, but do you ever go into the garden and realize you are spending more time there when there are things to do in the shop? I would be easily distracted…
Yup! I am easily distracted.
True words, “The important thing is whether you feel capable of creating in it.” My studio in CA was an 8 x 8 shed. My studio here is a little larger with windows on two sides. Before I had a shed in CA, I worked in the laundry shed which had fiberglass walls — not too different from a greenhouse. The light was great. The light I have now is nice. But as you write, the big thing is can you create in the space.
You are right, Martha. And I’ve had nice space that felt sterile, and I just couldn’t get started in it.
Nor could I. 🤣 A little happy chaos feels like possibility to me.