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Let’s be honest – we can all feel like a mess, sometimes. Other types of internal messes aside, I used to be embarrassed that my natural way to work on my art is messy but apparently, it’s a common mark of great artists. 🤷‍♀️ So, if this part of me helps me get to greatness in any way, I accept you as part of my creative process (with boundaries). 🥳

You should(n’t) see my art studio right now because it’s swamped with projects from novel ideas, poetry, song lyrics, and paintings from every walk of my life. I like to remember, that creativity is all about making connections. I feel remembering these creative ‘parts’ helps me be a better artist. Here is a good rule to remember though, concerning keeping a studio: “Keep your tools tidy and your materials messy.” This way, time won’t be wasted searching for brushes, paints and other tools. Feeling bad about hanging on to old papers? Consider this quote: If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, we can’t help wondering what an empty desk indicates. —THE WILDROOTER.

Celebrate your unique abilities – what seems like a hot mess to others, could be your brain 🧠 working as God intended it to. 😍 I would advise, however, that if you are having trouble actually functioning in your studio, you may need to do a purge!

Can A Messy Studio Help Your Artistic Process?

See what Austin Kleon is saying about it:

You may think that if your studio is tidy, it will free you up to be more efficient, and therefore, you will produce more. Maybe that will help you in the execution stage of your work if you’re, say, a printmaker pulling prints, but it won’t help you come up with an interesting design for the next print. It’s always a mistake to equate productivity and creativity. They are not the same. In fact, they’re frequently at odds with each other: You’re often most creative when you’re the least productive.

There is, of course, such a thing as too much clutter. It’s hard to work if you can’t find the things you need when you need them. French chefs practice something called mise en place, which means “set in place.” It’s about planning and preparation: making sure all the ingredients and tools you need are ready before you set to work. “Mise en place is the religion of all good line cooks,” Anthony Bourdain wrote in Kitchen Confidential. “Your station, and its condition, its state of readiness, is an extension of your nervous system.” – Austin Kleon

Read the entire article by clicking on the link below:

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-messy-studio-help-artist?fbclid=IwAR3t775VCGo3fdLxABqXzlwzf2cvjctnlBwdcm4AQlOIEDcHQK41U19zzOs

Famous Artists Who Kept a Messy Studio

Check out these famous artists who kept a messy studio (found from https://www.skillshare.com/blog/do-artists-thrive-in-messy-or-minimal-spaces/)

Francis Bacon

At the time of figurative painter Francis Bacon’s death, his London studio was filled to the brim with more than 7,000 objects, ranging from canvases and books to paints and paper scraps. Bacon’s studio has been a subject of fascination for decades. “When we first looked at the studio, everything seemed to be thrown in a heap,” conservator Mary McGrath told Christie’s. “And then once we looked at it for a period of time, we realized that, in fact, there was a certain amount of order behind the chaos.” 

Mark Twain 

In photographs, you’ll often see American writer Mark Twain’s desk littered with paper and books—yet he was arguably one of the most creative thinkers and writers of all time. 

Steve Jobs

While Steve Jobs is known for creating technology with a minimalist design aesthetic, photos of his home office show that his desk was often cluttered and unorganized.  – Skillshare

Creating Beauty Out Of Chaos

A large part of my whole reason for creating is my need to create beauty out of chaos. When I paint, I consider the subject’s pain, the viewer’s pain as well as my own pain. I long to make the world around me more lovely and more LOVING because I’ve felt the lowest lows. I want to push back those lows not only for myself but for those around me. If you’ve endured much and are feeling that burden, please know that you are beautiful and worth loving. You are capable of amazing things that only YOU can accomplish.

All the paintings you see on Gina Jackson Art, are the result of beauty breaking out from a whole lot of internal pain. I had a huge internal mess of sadness and trauma but God helped me turn it into beauty. Now, I help others like me through painting, messaging and meeting with members of my community. Thank You, Jesus! Happy painting and remember, be kind to yourself and those around you.