Having quit my corporate desk job in December 2020, I had no idea what was coming next. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand to be at that desk any longer. So much so, that my body was starting to reject the very thought of waking up in the morning to stumble over to my covid-friendly, in-bedroom ‘office’. Soooo, I quit. I quit with vigor, a 401k, and a dream in my pocket.
3 months later a friend posted online that she had openings in her artist co-op. I immediately ran down to see the spaces. 2 were fairly within budget, but the size of a large closet. How on earth could I fit furniture, clients, and my dreams into such a small space? I was feeling deflated.
Then she showed me the BIG garage! Twice the size, but twice the price as well. It was COVERED in graffiti, there was drywall missing, and yup, there were drug needles. (She had to evict the last tenant for turning the place into his own personal drug den).
My friends thought I was nuts, but I saw something they didn’t. I saw possibility. I erased the graffiti in my mind and replaced it with mirrors, furniture, a dressing room, backgrounds, and a vanity. I saw potential, and nothing else.
6 weeks of scrubbing, sanding, washing, painting, re-painting, more scrubbing, drilling, sawing, and more scrubbing, we had a clean, beautifully painted bare room to fill with my ideas.
Below is a gallery of the before/during/after photos. You won’t believe the change. We barely did. I cried, a lot. But we did it! And as of April 15th, 2021 we are open for business!
