Studio/Work Space

Welcome to the Kutiefly Cafe!!!

Based on Writing Prompts for Creatives by Aguja y Clavo Jewelry.

It's been months since my friend posted the new prompt, but I'm learning to just embrace when the motivation strikes. So, grab your fave cup of cafecito or tea and lets see where we end up this time.

I took a moment to look around and realized something about the desk/kitchen table I'm currently sitting at... I can't remember when my mom bought it for me, but it has been in my life since perhaps as early as 2010 (I'd call and ask her, but of course I'm writing this in the middle of the night). I do remember the day we bought it though, if not the year. I had needed a desk and everything we found was too tall for me, or if it was low enough, it was obviously designed for children. Short people problems lol. Couldn't believe when we found this one. Just a narrow rectangle of particle board with a thin veneer and simple silver legs at either end.

I didn't know then how much of my life would be spent at it, how many things I would craft, stories I'd write, books I'd read, art I would create, movies I'd watch... and then it also became my kitchen table when I moved into my 100 yearr old tiny adobe home. A family friend coincidentally was giving away two benches that fit nearly to the inch within the feet of the little desk. So now it has also seen countless hours of cafecito, chats with my momma, a friend, a neighbor, anyone who stops by. It's been crowded around with laughter, too many delivered packages, grocery bags, or my puppy wanting to see what I'm up.

I have tried to set up another space to be creative at. So that the tiny desk could simply be the kitchen table... but inevitably I end up scooting my breakfast over a bit to make room for my laptop or sketchbook (which tbh is around noon, because I went to sleep at 3 am... ok probably closer to 4, but don't tell my mother). Once something else is on the desk? Well we all know what happens if you give a mouse a cookie.

All this to say, I use this tiny desk for everything. Most days it is piled high with books I'm reading, a little pail of pens and to-do lists, my tiny magic 8 ball, various half-completed craft projects, a few days worth of earrings I took off and didn't put away, a snack, 3 different beverages (one of which is for sure coffee), a sketchbook, unopened mail, my laptop, a sketchbook... At a glance it is complete chaos, but to me there is a pattern that each piece fits comfortably into, there is room enough for all facets of my life, a visual representation of my mind, jumping from task to task, keeping them all close-at-hand so nothing is forgotten.

There are rare occasions where I manage to clear everything off of it. I can see every blemish from its years of use. And I smile at every ring, when I'd been too absorbed in a project to remember a coaster; every marker and ink and paint stain either from me or when my nieces and nephews come to visit; the worn out veneer hinting at the particle board, from the thousands of objects that have moved along the surface. Each mark a whisper of all the moments I have sat here.

As I look farther out, I am happy to see that evidence of my creativity has crept into every nook and cranny of the main room that is my kitchen, dining, living, studio. Sketchbooks, new and old, art supplies, design books, patterned fabric, chuchulucos (knick-knacks) from my travels, pictures, gifts from people who know me well, so many baskets (why am I obsessed?), and of course, plants. Nature being one of my favorite inspirations. Succulents, cacti, ivy, and a few I've never know the name of. In all manner of planters: plain terra cotta, old teacups, metal bucket, artisan ceramics, vases.

Who knew I could say so much about such a tiny space??? Not at all what I would have expected my studio to look like, but I am glad I didn't wait to create things until I had something "set up". It keeps evolving as I do, as my interests change, as my plants die lol, as I try to simplify and focus my organized chaos.

Above are a few snippets of the little desk in various states of disarray. The first is when I still lived at home after college. The later ones show other tiny spaces in my house bursting with my plants, supplies, and sketchbooks. Featured also is my little side-kick Luna'dilla (as in, quesadilla). She keeps me on task when she isn't too busy napping.

Maybe one day I'll have a separate space to create... But until then, I will eat a sandwich while contemplating what font to use, I'll clear a tiny place for two coffee cups when my mom drops by, I'll paint my nails while imagining my next pattern; I'll finish my bookkeeping with an eye on my next beading project; I'll clear off everything and slowly let the chaos surround me again and again. How am I still writing about a desk? Who let me start a blog? Can you tell it is very much past my bedtime?

I hope you find a space where your "work" feels more like a "fun way to spend your day". Even if that space makes no sense to anyone else. Keep an eye out, it might be right under your nose while you're having cafecito.

ps - thanks for reading this far. You deserve another cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin

pss - I just wanted to note that much of the furniture in my little house each came from a dear friend or relative. And so many people helped fix everything up when I moved in. Makes my casita feel cozy and loved. I could possibly write an entire story about my home. Maybe I will one day.