in Chicago, where i lived for many years, i had a lot of space. after graduating from the Art Institute, my first studio space was 3,000 square feet. 18 years later, i worked in a 9,000 square foot studio in a newly remodeled factory building, in a great neighborhood with a terrific landlord. living in Brooklyn, i have a table, some shelves, and a storage space.
in New York, i have extra time. instead of driving myself to work, i commute on the subway. it takes about 30 minutes each way. in the morning there are so many people, that sometimes i feel lucky even to find a place to hold on. but no matter how crowded the train, i always find the space to get out my book and loose myself in a story. on the way home i might get a seat, and then i pull out my knitting. so i like to think i have about an hour of free time a day to pursue my hobbies.
the first couple of years i lived here were during a very difficult period of my life. i needed to literally remake myself in every way. i had time to reflect on this recently while knitting on my way to work. i had lost the spacious studio i mentioned earlier, so making things became almost impossible the way i was accustomed to. i took up hand knitting. hand knitting requires no special space or equipment, merely time. i had been designing for the hand loom for years, but always with someone else in mind, and with someone else producing the actual pieces. hand knitting was personal. i could make whatever i wanted to, no one had to like it, and i only had to make one. this was a different kind of space that i had not had since college.
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