How Art and an Old Desk saved my sanity
Antique secretary turned into an art desk
I’m taking part in Tara Leaver’s Instagram challenge #21DaysinMyArtWorld and today’s prompt is Turning Point. At first I had no idea what to post about. Then it dawned on me that an old desk probably saved my life or at least kept me from losing my mind completely. That seems like a major turning point.
First, some background. Art has been a part of my life since I was old enough to hold a crayon. But after college I took a break from art that lasted about 15 years give or take. Painting and drawing all but disappeared from my life when I didn’t have classes to attend and projects to work on. My sketchbooks gathered dust and my paints dried up. I don’t think there was ever a conscious decision to stop making art, but life got busy. Instead I did crafty things so I still had a creative outlet but I was just making “things” - usually for our home or to give to other people - and not “art.” In the meantime I got my Masters degree in Arts Administration because I still wanted to be involved with the arts but it needed to be something practical that paid the bills.
One of the crafty things I did was refinish an old school desk and turn it into an art desk for my then 6-year-old niece. I was so happy that she loved it so much. But I was also a little bit jealous that I didn’t have an art desk too. Around the same time I was browsing at an antique store and found a secretary desk that I wasn’t really looking for. And I thought “this would be good in our dining room to sit at and pay bills.” It was an impulse buy and I wasn’t even sure it would fit in my car - lucking it did because I HAD to have it. Made in the early 1900s, it cleaned up beautifully and looked great in our dining room. I also bought a little stool that I painted and covered with cute fabric.
My niece at her art desk
Eventually my degree paid off and I got my dream job working at an Arts Center. Even though I was doing marketing (which isn’t my favorite thing), just being there rekindled my love for making art. I tried encaustic painting, gel plate printing, wet felting, and needle felting, until finally I took a watercolor class at the community college. That was when painting and drawing reentered my life and eventually became a daily practice.
My life was super duper stressful at the time. My mom had several major illnesses in a row and my job wasn’t the dream I thought it would be. I was constantly on the move, exhausted mentally and physically, and was close to having a nervous breakdown. I needed something to preserve my sanity. Taking the watercolor class I realized it was something I could do anywhere because it didn’t make a huge mess or require a lot of supplies. Daily painting sessions turned out to be the self-care I needed. It was like meditating and I could lose myself for 15-20 minutes a day. Just enough to keep myself going.
So the big “Turning Point” could have been my job at the Arts Center or the watercolor class, but I think it was actually the desk. Because what I didn’t have was a place to paint. My husband and I shared the office and it’s a little dark in there all the time so not great for painting. I don’t remember when or exactly how it happened, but sometime in 2016 I had an aha moment and decided to turn that the antique secretary desk (the one I bought for paying bills) into my very own art desk. It wasn’t ideal since it was in the dining room of our open floor plan house, but it worked and I painted there almost daily for 5 years. The morning light in our dining room is perfect for painting. I could have a cup of tea and paint before I started my grueling day. Then I could close the lid and everything was out of sight. Having a space to call your own is a gift and could very well be a turning point. Even if it is just a small desk tucked into the corner of your dining room.
It didn’t take long before the desk’s drawers were absolutely stuffed with art supplies. Then they overflowed into the rest of the house - the laundry room, guest room, office and basement. Until eventually in 2022 I built the studio of my dreams in our basement to keep ALL the art supplies in one place. But that is an agonizing decision (imposter syndrome anyone?) for another blog post.home with my hubby, a Caps game, and a glass of wine from the Biltmore
One of the overstuffed drawers - with swallowtail butterfly specimen for drawing inspiration