My Slice of the Pie

I recall having a conversation towards the beginning of the year with a friend of mine. Talking goals for the forthcoming months, I said I wanted to publicly share more of my life. Maybe not my detailed personal life, but my life creatively.

I've since struggled with how I want to approach this. Just simply sharing videos, photos, and captions on Instagram didn't feel quite right. I considered YouTube as well, but vlogging/producing video in that way doesn't really interest me currently.

I used to blog, though, quite a bit in my mid-late teens. I've always enjoyed communicating through text, and spent my fair-share of time in message-boards/forums growing up. So, in an effort to facilitate the aforementioned goal, I'll share happenings around my slice of the creative world: the Hot Dirt studio.

I'm at the Hot Dirt studio (formally titled the HDHQ, or: Hot Dirt Headquarters) pretty regularly, often working or tinkering around. This is a space myself and a few friends started a long while back after finishing high school. A long, long history with many stories to tell, the HDHQ is a space where I can let my brain work without limitation. Usually this time of year is fruitful for upgrades/renovations as I start to get inspired to do new projects, and thus want to facilitate a space to accomplish them.

Currently on deck is setting up the screen-printing area.

Pretty rudimentary. It's on a small rolling table that lets me move it out of the way if need be. I used to be an apprentice at WNYBAC years ago, designing and printing goods - posters, cards, shirts, etc. It was only a one year gig, but the experience has stuck with me. I loved getting to make something come to life in a single place, with so many tools at my disposal. I guess that's kind of the point of a studio - facilitate creation from start to finish.

I hung up a couple rolls of seamless (somehow lost a golden-yellow one?) as well. You can see it at the top of the above photo. Having it handy has been nice, for sure, and I've already found myself using it for photos. I stole some of the remaining pulley-system to hang paper-towels. Hot Dirt Sanitation Station. These small additions are the type of thing I want to focus on this year as well. Making the creative space more useful, and less of a storage closet.

I have a bunch of other things I'd like to do around the studio soon, but I don't want to over-load myself with to-dos. I've often gotten into a trap of building the space/ability to create work, but not always doing much with it. Not certain why. Maybe I just like the building process more than making?

Do plan to paint the exterior door though once the weather turns.

Nothing beats the studio on a nice, sunny afternoon. Door open, music blasting.

Talk soon.

Zach