For the second year in a row, I’m house-sitting for friends of mine as they’re traveling for a couple weeks. This leaves me with a lovely, modest, well-kept rancher house, a friendly old cat, some bubbly fish, and wide open backyard under a tree grove. Amish neighbors ride by sometimes and wave hello. The cat meows in his sleep between snack times. (What a hard life he lives.) And every few days, I go out and water the flowers.
I call this my mini artist residency because I’m productive and inspired here. I always leave having created new work. My own apartment isn’t bad at all; in fact, I really love it. Half of it is my creative work space, and it’s sentimental to me because it’s the first home I ever made for myself as an adult. But there’s something about a new environment (with a lot of natural light) that breathes new life into my work. And this time around, I’m taking advantage of the chance to shoot “lifestyle photos” of some art pieces for Etsy.
I’ve noticed that I also get into healthier habits here, from better sleep to better food choices. (My friends usually welcome me to eat whatever is in their fridge, which is usually healthy, and also helps me save on groceries!) As someone with likely ADHD, it seems like my neurotransmitters work as they should to keep me focused and at peace. It’s interesting to think of how our environment can help shape our lifestyle, for better or worse.
I’ll definitely write about and post new work I’m creating over the next couple weeks!
In what kind of environment do you thrive, focus well, and feel inspired?
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