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| Rare moment; It doesn't look like it got hit by a bomb. |
It's been my experience that first casualty of creativity is order. I tend toward the disorganized and when I find something that inspires a project I become single minded. Clutter and chaos are byproducts as tools/ paint/ parts land where they may. Chasing the idea takes precedence but Muses are fickle things and a missing component at the wrong moment can suddenly derail the whole process. Much cursing and compulsive rummaging ensues. When I work on a painting or modelling project the only thing I want to think about is the project at hand.
I read a book more than ten years ago now; How to Paint Realistic Military Figures by Lynn Kessler and Don Winar. It's a decent reference and there are some pretty helpful hints but the thing that struck me was the suggestion I have a dedicated hobby space. At the time I had a modest selection of paints, tools and models that would make their way to any flat surface I could find and inevitably end up turfed back into storage after a hobby session. In addition to damaging tables and carpets this practice really broke up the creative process and contributed to procrastination.
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| More like a kit layout on your bunk for inspection than "zen" but helpful none the less |
Kessler and Winar presented a line drawing of a bench (there was a bench building plan too but the table I had was perfect for the job) that laid out where everything should go. I set my stuff up as close to the image as possible and found it rather awkward. Figuring they were right handed I tweaked some items around and still found it a hassle. What I'm getting at here is that the idea was a good one and the diagram presented a good starting point but the only person who can make your work space work for you is you.
I embrace the Bauhaus maxim, "Form follows function". Determining the optimized layout for my own hobby space became an organic process: A matter of trial and error. I have my own "Go to" tools that are my favorites. I'm equal parts modeller/ painter so front line stuff from both hobby disciplines are within arms length rather than having one set or the other tucked into a drawer. Over the years I have altered the layout to suit me as a hobbyist. My space and I "grew" together. The satisfaction of having a space "organized" in this manner is how intuitive and effortless projects become. Finding a particular tool becomes more like recalling a line from a favorite song rather than organizing a library catalogue.
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