Home Edition 01

Show Us Your Studio - 2020

Home, over the last couple of months, has become the place where we not only relax in but work and play in as well. This has required us creatives to rethink what a studio space means to us.

Take a peak with us into our SANNZ members at home studio workspaces which have been set up using any free space with any means at hand.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
I am really missing the impromptu discussions with others that come from working in studio as well as adapting to relying on designing through sketching more than modeling with my limited supplies at home. I am lucky enough to have a separate office space to work from, continuing the routine of waking up early and ‘heading to uni’ was hard to maintain at the start of lockdown but I think I’ve finally mastered it.

Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
My commute to studio takes about 2 hours all up from my day so I am really enjoying being able to reclaim that time. I try to treat uni like a 9-5 job at home year round but without the commute time I have had more time to read or work on my own creative projects on the side.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
I actively try to avoid doing any uni work from home, preferring to be at campus or in a cafe, so setting up a space to work has been a big challenge. At our peak we had 5 people looking for different workspaces with no one having a permanent work station, and each area having varying levels of privacy. Luckily, my partner and I have different schedules so we have been able to swap between spaces as required but this has created interruptions in our workflows. As a result it has been easy to become distracted, and hard to dedicate time to focus on assignments. Despite having an abundance of time, I have found myself pushing assignments out later and later and then doing all-nighters when no one else is around.

Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
Despite its challenges, I have really enjoyed being around everyone and having meals together. Understanding my own limits and reduced productivity has also meant that I have been able to enjoy this time for what it is, breaking up the day by taking the dog for walks, playing board games and being active, rather than feeling stressed trying to make it what it wasn’t.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
Establishing and sticking to a routine has been a big challenge. Figuring out ways to separate and balance work, rest, and recreation. Also, creating a place to work. Pre lockdown I did my work at uni and home was a place to relax. As a result I had no workspace in my small room at home, creating a workspace has required some creativity. My desk is currently a plank of wood from our shelf in the hallway sitting on top of my piano stand.
Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
Having extra time in my day read, relax, and work on projects and hobbies that would normally be pushed aside for assignments, during lockdown I have actually started playing piano again. Also spending time with my flat-mates has been a blessing.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
Keeping myself accountable and separating work and life in a small space. I live by myself in a 28sqm apartment full of plants - in other words it's a tiny jungle, but I adore it. So being in such a small space, I have found it difficult at times to be able to disconnect from study and feel relaxed in the same environment.  

Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to have the space and time to create new work.  It's been an interesting time to see how and when I work best. I have found a new love for baking and trying new recipes to break up the day, and exploring my local area, finding the hidden architectural gems you always read about in magazines.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
Finding new creative processes without printing/scanning/library resources as well mindset changes to doing work.  My work, uni, rest & recreation spaces are now all confined to my small bedroom.  Not having that separation of spaces has been difficult to overcome, but this ability has grown and will be a carry-on from this challenging period.
Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
Being cooped up inside has really lent itself to some great things with its flexibility, finding new ways to break up the day and challenge how we have been operating, maybe fitting in some self-care which might otherwise be spent trying to commute.

Biggest challenge in adapting to working from home?
Definitely missing hanging out in studio with my pals and of course access to the amazing materials workshops and staff we have at UoA which is a huge part of my process.

Something you’ve enjoyed about working from home?
Having time to get into some drawings! Definitely an area in need of work for me so focusing on 2D media has been a nice change.