One genuine way to root around in someone's head is to see what sort of workspace they keep. Especially if they're someone well known. If
Amy Butler or
Mary Englebreit are letting me peek into their studios I am all over that! One hopes that by looking into their workspace and seeing how they arrange their pens (pencil cup or basket?) or their fabric stash (by color or by weight?) we might gain insight to their success.
I don't exactly have a set workspace. Since I have kids and they move around a lot, I usually need to be where the action is.
I have a sewing room, but it's in the farthest part of the house, it's usually the dumping ground for everything we're not using (and everything we're not putting away) and it's COLD in there 5 months out of the year--well you get the picture.
Below is my favorite workspace. It's my Grandfather's old desk, an actual genuine writing desk and it's perfect for me. It has all these great nooks and crannies to put stuff in and as it's in my dining room it doubles up as a sideboard during holiday dinners.
1. My Toshiba Satellite.
2. Dorky mug with half-drunk cold tea in it. My husband teases me that I can never finish a whole cup of tea. It's funny because it's true.
3. Uniball Signo 207, my pen of choice.
4. Work in progress.
5. Wacom Tablet.
6. Prismacolor markers.
7. Sketch ready to be colored.
8. Scrap paper with my daughters little doodles done in pink pen.
9. Barbie DVD, for K to watch if I'm just drawing and she wants company.
10. CD of artwork to be sent to a prospective company or agent.
11. A pull out writing/drawing space, best feature of this desk!
12. Small drawer perfect to fit my iPod.
13. Piece of scratch paper with calculations on it for
using the offset filter. I just keep using the same one until there's no space left.
14. Other small drawer to keep post-it pads, paperclips and rubber bands.
