Build a temple, not a studio

When I lucked into my studio space which is a huge attic space above a barn that’s now a garage, I put a lot of work into making it into the perfect studio space with a live room and a control room/home office. Although it doesn’t have central air I installed a window air conditioner, use a combination of electric radiator and fan combo, and use a humidifier to keep the space at a constant 70 degrees and 45% humidity.

I finished it with drywall, installed warm LED lighting, wood floors, painted it my favorite color (green), and of course did all I could to treat it for optimal sound. But something was missing.

One day my wife came home with a vintage globe that doubled as a lamp. Then there was a taxidermy fox, and eventually I figured it out. The space may have been serviceable for writing and recording music but there’s more to recording than just recording equipment and the proper space for instruments.

Tonight I learned how to transform that studio into a temple and I’ll never look back. I turned off the overhead lights, turned on just three lamps, put on one of my favorite vinyls, then laid on the floor and thought of nothing. Suddenly I wasn’t in an apartment or a studio or the live room. As I laid on the rug of the live room I was in a temple. Ideas and solutions to problems that had been plaguing me for ages suddenly came to me as soon as the record ended. My mind became blank, empty, clear, and still.

So while it is important to set up a proper studio space first and foremost, there’s a reason you see so many high performing artists in spaces that reflect their personality first and are set up to record second. The vibe is important because your studio isn’t only a space to write and record, it’s also a refuge and a space to nurture your creative self in between projects.