I spent a good part of the last few weeks reworking my studio.
My studio mate left; there were some client changes. So I decided to rework the space where I do most of my work and make it more inspiring and versatile. I loved having a friend to split the studio rent with and to talk shop with. However, when you share a creative space, you have to compromise on how you want the space to function.
None of those compromises was a major problem on its own, but together they created just enough friction that I stopped enjoying being in the space. It’s funny how you adapt to little inconveniences until they become normal, and then one day you realize you’re working around your environment instead of with it.
So I finally painted the walls the way I envisioned them when I first moved in. Did an Ikea haul. I hung new shelves, printed photos, and spent an embarrassingly long amount of time deciding where everything should go. Took longer than I wanted, but that's how it goes when you're working on client work and family before your own business or personal projects.
As I was putting everything back together, I realized the studio wasn’t the only thing that had changed over the last couple of years.
When I first built it, I was mostly making videos. Since then, I’ve started a podcast, taken on different kinds of clients, built websites, managed ad campaigns, and found myself spending as much time thinking about strategy as I do behind a camera. The way I work has changed, but my workspace was still designed for an earlier version of my business.
I wonder how often that happens outside of an office or a studio.
We get better at what we do, our responsibilities shift, and our priorities evolve, but we keep trying to fit ourselves into systems we built for a different season. We assume the problem is our motivation when sometimes the real issue is that our environment hasn’t caught up.
I’m not saying a fresh coat of paint solves deeper problems. It doesn’t.
But I do think there’s something valuable in paying attention to the places where you spend your time. Sometimes changing the space is really just a way of acknowledging that you’ve changed, too.
The studio is finally done, and I can't tell you how much joy it brings me—maybe it sounds a bit silly, but it really does! I’m so pumped to film projects for my clients or even just for myself because the space looks amazing. It looked good before, but I always felt like it needed more.
But for the first time in a while, walking into that room feels like walking into a space that reflects the work I’m trying to do today, not the work I was doing two years ago.
That feels like progress.
Chispas en El Mundo
These are little sparks in the world that have brought me joy. Maybe one of them will help you.
- The World Cup is underway, and I can't help but love all the success Mexico is having. But what I love more is seeing all the social posts from Mexicans showing up as the passionate, loving people we are.
- Steven Spielberg is back at it again with his extraterrestrials in Disclosure Day. If you say you love cinema or movies and haven't seen this in theaters, what are you doing!?!?
- If you love Indian food. You need to follow this wonderful human, Roopan, who shares awesome Indian culture and recipes.