Behind the Scenes

I'll admit it: I'm a nosy person. When I see these pictures in home magazines of meticulous living rooms and bathrooms I am dying of curiosity about what they REALLY look like (you know, because people actually live there). I love getting to look behind the scenes of my favorite movies and TV shows and see what the actresses and actors are eating for lunch or reading in their trailers.  And don't get me wrong, I love looking on Pinterest at beautiful, clean art studios and work spaces for inspiration.  But I can't help but wonder what those spaces looked like before they were cleaned up and organized for a photo shoot.

We all know that creative work is usually far from a tidy process!  I don't think there is anything wrong with pictures of gleaming white work rooms and nary a paint splatter , but I'm also a fan of reality; sometimes it feels good to know that not everyone is operating in a Pinterest-esque world!

So anyway, I wanted to share a couple of pictures with you of my desks, as well as some works in progress and what is usually going on in my "studio" (read: tiny unfinished room on stilts on the side of our apartment).  I didn't provide an "overview" shot because the angles are a little weird and it's hard to get everything in there.  Basically just imagine boxes and boxes of sheet music plus an old CPU doubling as a shelf.

Necklaces in different states of construction, baggies of cut sheet music, and misc. tools.  I know exactly where everything is though!

These guys just need their clasps and then they will be done!  I ran out of the clasps I like for this style, so the necklaces will hang out on my desk til my new supplies come in.  Then I'll photograph them, box them up, and list them on Etsy!

Baby loves photo days because it usually means I've cleared off an area on the sunny spot of the desk.  I try to keep my workspace free from cat hair, but it's pretty hard to say no to that face.

I try to only photograph about once a week since it is so time consuming.  Sometimes though if the light is particularly good on a random day I'll grab a few more shots.  My set-ups are pretty simple for the most part.  I try to keep a few different background papers and props on hand to make them interesting.

As soon as I cut sheet music, I label a baggie with the name and date of the song it comes from. I Keep the pieces together with their baggie until the jewelry is finished and I write the information on the gift box.  I re-use baggies from my supplies to minimize waste! 

Top: Some cheery plants.  Plants love it in here because there is so much sunlight!  Unfortunately plant-munching cats love it for the same reason (note the little tail sticking up from behind my frame).  Bottom: I seal the sheet music pieces with sealant before glazing them under glass.  During this step I keep the pieces near/on their baggies so they stay with their information.

Left: I designed these inserts to fit my necklace boxes.  I write the name and date of the music from which each necklace comes.  The clear lids are great because it makes keeping track of inventory really easy.  Right: The (gorgeous)  tissue paper that I use to wrap up outgoing packages.  Each box gets tied up with a gold or blue satin ribbon too...it's really pretty!

Well, that's about it I think!  I am happy to share more pictures if anyone has any specific requests. 

What do you think about messy/ neat work areas?  What's yours like, and how do you think your environment influences you?  Leave me a comment with your thoughts!