We've ditched our dining room. We eat on the couch, holding plates to our faces and I like it that way. Though, this is not meant as advice. And may suggest my own continuing social dissolution. At a restaurant this past weekend, under duress, I actually held my plate to my chest as I ate. In my defense, we were sitting on an outdoor patio. And after a few bites shame impelled me to put the plate back on the table. (See, Brother, I do have some shame!) But that did happened and I won't deny it.

Table manners aside, the point is art. Our dining room is being converted into creative space. Yesterday we emptied the art drawers and put all supplies in view down the middle of the table. Paper is out. FOUR different sets of watercolors were discovered and sorted. A need for new colored pencils was noticed. Plans are to bring in a set of shelves to hold fabric and notions in view.

The quilt decorating the space formerly understood to be for dining, is coming down in favor of wall sized space for inspiration--I may cover it in cork, or the wall itself may become an easel. Its big enough to hold an entire sheet of plywood as a canvas. And I've had a hankering to paint BIG for a long time now. Which may or may not happen.

The larger point is, if you set it up, art is more likely. And art leads to more art. When the kids were small I kept art supplies (good ones, which matters) on full view arranged on shelves near our table. As they got older, our lives got more organized and art supplies migrated to chests of drawers. Which looks nice but has had the unfortunate affect of throttling impulse. Creativity doesn't want to bother with preamble and all its attendant uptight need to tidy after.

Creating space for creating. Its the new theme.