Sacred Studios: New Year New Volumes

As a creative, a studio can be a sacred space! Join me on a journey into the sacred creative space known as the studio. In "Studio Sessions" you will get to meet the visitors and creator of a studio space. This is the first issue 1 of  a new Volume of the "Green Zine Scene".  Click here to buy your copy now in deluxe magazine or PDF!

The Sacred Place Of Studios

In 2019 I decided to build a studio in my home. As Pat Green Photography grew, the desire for an in home studio as opposed to renting space grew to a crescendo. 

As a visual artist and a photographer I have met artists in their studios. For each of them it is not a workspace, it is a sacred temple and a laboratory all in one. Musicians, professional dancers, DJs, painters, sculptors and more have created studios that are an extension of them. 

Creatives need this space to remind them who they are and why they do what they do. It is a space that excites their senses and allows them to move the world to the side so they can focus on their art. The studio is where we create, but it is the gallery or the stage or other spaces that the work is shown to the world. 

It also serves as a space for discipline and creative workflow. 

My Studio

Like many photographers, I work in multiple disciplines. I primarily work in portraits, portfolios, documentaries, street photography and film. Not all photo sessions take place in the studio, but that is not the only use for the studio. Of course there are backdrops, props, and lighting gear. There is also a workstation where I edit. Often it is my digital darkroom, but it is also where I write columns. Speaking of darkrooms, there is a darkroom in my studio for developing film and prints. This space can also be used for models and subjects to change their wardrobe. 

Do these things help me with my workflow? Absolutely, but workflow and creativity also needs the right attitude and energy to be able to work effectively. Copies of my work adorn the walls, my photo books and the photobooks of the masters serve to remind me of the possibilities. A smart speaker, oil diffuser, and incense help me tap into that space I need to be the creative that I am. 

Your Home Studio

I feel everyone needs a sacred studio of zen, creativity, and workflow.  Though this is the creation of creatives, I feel everyone can have a studio for their creativity. Since Covid changed the face of our personal lives and the workspace, everything just feels so stressful for so many.

For those who now work from home as a result of this change, do you just want a corner in your home that has a desk, a phone, and an inoffensive space for your zoom call backgrounds? Could you find your focus and separation of work and home by creating a space that is for the career in your home? Make it something that inspires you, motivates you and encourages you. Don't call it a workspace or a home office, call it your studio.

What about the "front line" worker? You are on the field day after day with people who are less kind and more demanding. There is also a risk to your health and safety; be it a warehouse, retail, classroom, or whatever it is that you do. This is stressful and you need an outlet, a space of zen to do whatever it is that centers you. That can be meditation, yoga, working out, reading, coloring, crafts, and many other things I cannot imagine that you do. Create that space. And when you are in that space, let the everyday creative in you flow so you can restore and heal.

The Space of Privilege

I own a 2 bedroom condo. I know people who have their studio in a spare bedroom in a 5 bedroom home, a large shed or barn on their property, and even a guest house in their mansion. A one bedroom apartment, studio apartment, mobile home, rented room and other small living situations may make something like this feel impossible. I have been there, it is not. 

A funky chair in a corner with fairy lights and a small table is a start. When you are in that space, you can wear headphones and light a candle and be immersed in whatever it is that you do. I have a friend who is a podcaster who will go into the back of his closet with his laptop, mic, headphones, and a lamp that changes colors to record in peace away from his partner, kids and dogs. He even has a little studio light above the door to let people know he is recording and not to be disturbed. 

Show Me Your Space

Let's Connect! Show me pictures of your sacred studio space and tell me what it means to you. I would love to hear more!

See More Stories

I write a monthly 20 page zine and I also have a few other published works. You can read more about them and purchase these stories here. 

Be My Boss and Tell me What Stories to Tell

My Patreons can be my Editors for as little as $3 a month! Simply go to my Patreon to learn more. Different levels of support will come with free perks as well!

Let's Make A Story in My Studio or Yours!

Do you want to tell your story with me? I create visual stories for portrait sessions, websites for your business, documentaries, and even dating profiles. Let's connect!