I get the bug (so to speak) about twice a year to really tidy up the studio. This involves a lot of vacumning as the ladybugs, spiders, and stink bugs are quite attracted to my sunny workspace during the cooler months.

Although it only took me a couple of hours to tidy up, I couldn’t help but question if it was a productive use of the one day a week I get to work in my studio. I did manage to finish up a commission for the amazing Judie and ship out a few other packages, but one day a week is not much time for the creative muse to bring my metal dreams to life.

While cleaning my studio, I thought about John R., a jewelry store owner who I interned with while in college. John’s shop was messy, messy, messy! Crusted white flux and acid spills blossoming like fractals from every surface of his workbench, dirt, dust, polishing grime floating in the air, hand tools strewn about. I was amazed that he could find anything in his shop. But he did.

When I asked him how he could work in such a messy space, he told me a story about one of his jeweler friends. The friend’s shop was always immaculate, everything had it’s place, the shop vac ran daily. But the friend spent so much time keeping the shop clean that it left him with little time to work on commissions. Before long, the friend’s shop went out of business. John’s shop may have been messy, but he always had customers coming and going.

In the words of Dr. Seuss, “life is a great balancing act.” You’ve got to keep your studio clean (your lungs will thank you), but know when it’s time to put the vacumn away and pull out your favorite hammer!

(And, yes, I am very aware of my dorkiness unveiled in this self portrait).