Moving thoughts

I have learned a lot about myself over my lifetime, but one thing I did solidify is that I don’t like to move: that mean home, Studio, churches, or jobs.

Like most people, I am a creature of habit, and grow comfortable with the familiar. With her recently moved from the Artcraft building to the Twist Drill my thoughts Lingered on white one. I realized I needed to change that to anticipation of what is to come.

We haven’t moved our studio in four years so it’s interesting that when we moved into Artcraft and our space we have very limited furniture. I went to restaurant auction houses to purchase Steve the restaurant grade stainless steel tables for his soap making. We purchased a large amount of shelving, auction chairs, and one kind soul gave me kitchen chairs. He went from a huge space with very little things in it to filling it well and being comfortable. Space is so much smaller and we have to start to read out what we can and cannot take.

Here are some lessons and learning from the move of the studio:

• Hire a moving company: is so worth the price to hire people who do this professionally. We had everything packed them back and they had it on the truck and off the truck and into the new studio in under three hours. It would’ve taken us a couple days of shoveling stuff back-and-forth. If you’re looking for a suggestion of a mover, I would highly highly recommend Parma Mover. They came in way under their quote, and in a way less time than anticipated. Plus, they were a lot of fun.
• Remember that stuff is just that – stuff. Let it go if you have to and don’t feel the need to reward.
• Learn to be adaptable, flexible, and able to adjust to changes. Truth is life is just a series of adapting and changing.
• Remember the past fondly, but set your sights to the future and press on. You don’t live in the past. And the future is bright.

We are just about done with our move… today we drag the things that did not fit in the new studio home. Mannequins, several shelves, chairs and a fan…. So glad for this to be done and turn in keys for artcraft.

With the departure of almost all of the artist from the building, ArtCraft has lost its creative spark, and it looks more like an ugly construction site, or a creepy abandoned building. We were given to the end of March to be out of the building but they started demolition of unoccupied spaces in early February without regard to the tenants. That only heighten the stress of needing to leave. Not to mention stirring up dust and dirt of an 100 year old building. That would include lead paint dust, and asbestos. When I mentioned this concern to the development company they told me their schedule is tight and work will go on.

So we turn our sights on our new studio, and head into the next chapter. This will be a good one. But there is something very sentimental about the old place.

Our new studio is at the Cleveland Twist Drill building located at 4700 Lakeside Ave, cleveland.