Home Office No More
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 10:42AM
Julie Manwaring

Lauren McIntosh's letterpressed alphabet and Tall Cow screen prints hang above my desk.

I have rejoined the "going to the office" ranks...and it feels good. I've begun working out of a studio in the Mission—it's a 3 floor warehouse space filled with artists, creativity and some lingering turpentine fumes

While my neighborhood is blanketed in a miles deep marine layer—aka sad, cold, gray fog to end all fogs—the Mission has sunshine, warm temps and blue skies. In addition to the amicable weather, I'm around the corner from Heath Ceramics' new outpost, steps away from a great cafe with bluegrass night on Thursdays, blocks from the best super burritos in the city and nearby friends for lunch time meet ups, snack breaks and strolls. The days of home office isolation are over!

My studio no longer doubles (triples) as our living room and "guest bedroom". No more putting everything away at the end of each day. No more stifling clutter. I sit below a wall of windows and have what feels like miles of desk space. It's a dream. Inks, pens and drawing paper, sketchbooks, watercolors and brushes, laptop, plants and art books all have a home and there's still (still!) space to work. There's room to breathe...and create.

Looking forward to what's going to come from studio #319.

Article originally appeared on Flourish & Whim (http://flourishandwhim.com/).
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