Tiny House Q&A: How Much Space Does An Artist Need?

Reset A− A+ Is it just me, or aren’t there a lot of tiny house people out there who are artistic?

Whether you write, paint, draft, sculpt, or dance..

I’m coming to terms with the fact that: artists need their space.

Yet artists usually LOVE tiny houses. So that begs the question..

How Do Artists and Tiny Homes Come Together?

If artists need their space for drafts, art, rough drafts, research, then how the heck would one live in a tiny home and continue creating?

So I asked our Facebook Fans and here’s what they said…

Comments from Facebook

Artists require inspiration and cheap places to live…perhaps some will find it in a tiny home, but not all. I could park a tiny home in a cheap warehouse and have all the room i needed, or buil a studio next to a tiny home…the possibilities are endless, having a tiny home on wheels opens up a ton of options when shopping for a work studio that wouldn’t have been possible without that living space. – John

I think it would entirely depend on the kind of artist you are, what tools you need for your craft, including space. For example, somebody who sculpts, and Sculps large, will probably need an additional studio space. But I certainly thinks it’s possible to live in a tiny house if you’re an artist. I’m a writer and an actress, and I have done both living in an RV – if I can do it living in an RV, so can others. If I was a painter, I might want to studio. – Rebecca

i do it, and i do not have a studio. my place is 12 by 24 feet and being an out of sight out of mind type i find it helpful to have my supplies, many of which are my inspiration, out on display. it does tend to get a bit cluttered during craft binges though – Scar Letta

i am going to do it and i am nervous about lack of space for my art – Donna

You can read more of the questions/answers here.

And what if you have a spouse? Children? Family? It’s just not realistic to live in 100-square-feet in these situations, isn’t it?

You’ve got to go bigger than that or this might just be a phase.. I mean that’s the truth isn’t it? This is really more about:

Photo of my “Living Room” As I Wrote this Post…

How would I get to do all this in a tiny house I also live in?

I could live in one, yes.. But live and work.. And share with another person? That’s probably asking too much out of too little.

I need a tiny house for us to live in. And another tiny house for me to work in. Then it’ll really work..

So that’s why I’m saying what’s really important is…

Finding the RIGHT Space for YOU

Look. Tiny houses are AWESOME. But they’re just NOT for EVERYBODY and I’d be dumb to shout, “tiny houses are the answer to all the world’s problems!” everyday.

They’re for single people (that want to continue solo-power-living) or couples that are so unique and get along so well that they can do it successfully. Shout out to Tammy and Logan, Andrew and Crystal, Laura and Matt, Tiny House Family, and the many others who are doing it.

For the Rest of Us..

For the rest of us tiny houses are so inspiring and fascinating. They’re like this ironic symbol of freedom, aren’t they?

And we can still use them and the great space saving ideas that go along with them. As I always re-iterate.. small structures (tiny houses and the like) can be used in SO MANY WAYS..

• Treehouse or playhouse
• Backyard workspace
• Recreational room
• Separate bedroom
• Tiny guesthouse

And the list goes on, and on. But what’s really important- I think- is meeting your own personal wants/needs with your home..

List What You Need Your House To Do For You To Be HAPPY..

Like for me, right now using my small apartment’s living room as an office is working. But do I want to do this forever? Not really.

Eventually I’d like a completely separate and dedicated space for my work because I think it’s healthier that way long-term. When I get creative I get messy so it would be nice to have this separation of work/life again.

So What’s On Your List?

Do you find that you need a little bit of extra space kind of like me? Or maybe your spouse does? These are real human needs and from what I’ve learned, I don’t think they should be ignored.

Is Tiny Living Sometimes Just Not Realistic?

I mean, not really.. Because ‘tiny’ is just an opinion on square feet. And really size doesn’t matter. It’s what you do with what you have. And to me it’s more about being more conscious of our own needs and how close we can get to creating the perfect home for us.

Sometimes I’m Afraid Tiny Houses Are Saying…

“Hey, you don’t need that anymore even though you like and enjoy it.”

Trust me, I’m all for getting rid of the CRAP in our lives.

But when we start to deny ourselves of something we enjoy.. That’s different.

If you’re not replacing some of the crap with FUN, I think you’re doing it all wrong (I’m kiddingly serious).

I Guess I’d Like It To Be More About US Than Just Square-Feet

I don’t like what sometimes might happen within the tiny house community where people compete with each other to see how little they can live with… It doesn’t really freaking matter!

Some of us move into 192-square-foot homes on wheels. Others get rid of everything they have and live out of a backpack or a van.

What I’ve learned NOW is that it’s okay to NOT force yourself into less space than what you really need. In fact, that might do more harm than good for many of us even though I’m a firm believer that we can learn and grow from all of our experiences. But..

In the end, aren’t we all just trying to meet our own human needs based on what we like to do? So we can be happy.. So don’t worry so much about size, have more fun, take everything less seriously, and see if you can make your current home meet your needs better right now.

And join our free daily tiny house newsletter for even more discussions like this!

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Alex

Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.

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