Why Pre-Planning Is the Most Adult Move an Artist Makes
I do not like the packing and the unpacking. I do not like the moving, the whole act of going from one space to the next. That is something I had to do this weekend, shifting from my old studio to the new home of MCJ Studio. And still, with all of that, there is one thing I hold gratitude for. Let me talk about it.
For those meeting me for the first time, I am a contemporary artist, the owner of MCJ Studio, and the owner of a language program. I sit at the intersection of all of that, sharing my insight, my perspective, and my expertise with creatives, independent artists, art galleries, and agencies. If you are here, you want those resources. You want to move with intention in this world of art and culture. You stay here because this is where you find it.
The Move I Did Not Want, And the Thing I Am Grateful For
So I said it, and I will repeat it. I do not like to move. But we did. And the part I hold gratitude for sits in a trait of mine that other people detest and I have grown to appreciate. There is a determining factor in me that asks one question. Not what does it cost me, but what do I need to do to set myself up for a stretch of time without the emergency spending that catches people off guard. The kind where suddenly you owe for this, you owe for that, you are missing something, or you rented a new space so now you need all new goods.
No. To be honest, this move was simply moving. Everything in a box, hire the service, move it. That ease came from preparation. It looks minor on the surface, yet it points toward a direction the coming posts will follow.
Ask Yourself How a Thing Stays Maintained
When you ask for something you genuinely want to have, you owe yourself a second question. How will this be maintained? How will it hold longevity? How do you prepare for the moment another move or another cost arrives? One thing I took into account is that the deposit I put down for my current spot equals the amount I set aside for a future emergency move. So the moment you need to move, you move. You get up and you go, because the cushion already exists.
The goods I bought for the work are not cheap. They are durable, enjoyable, and necessary for the artwork I produce. That means I account for depreciation, five years for some items, three for others. That is fine. I also bought goods I take along with me, so nothing gets thrown out. I am not renting a studio to rent a studio. This is an operating cost, and I treat it as such. It is not a hobby.
Treating the Studio As a Business Changes How People See You
When you hold that attitude, the attitude others have of you shifts. They notice you take it seriously. And yes, I do. This is not a little hobby or a little side job. This is a business, and an artist who treats the work this way grows up faster.
I hear too many stories from people who own businesses with no emergency fund, entrepreneurs with no leverage for the in-between moments when something happens. The fastest path to growing up is not the conventional checklist of holding a job and paying bills. We have been conditioned to believe that paying bills equals adulthood. It does not stop there.
It goes further. Adulthood arrives when you hold leverage, meaning assets that generate income back to you. That income comes from savings, from stock, from obligations.₁ When you place a deposit on a studio or any business venue and offset it with the same amount or a little more for the next move, the next repair, the next investment, those are adult conversations. When someone working with their hands thinks through insurance, that is an adult conversation. When you stop seeing yourself as an expense and start asking how the business creates profit, looking below the line after EBITDA and operating costs, that is adulthood.₂
Preparation Over the Dopamine of Emergency
The reason the move felt finished is that most of it was pre-planned. People wonder why anyone stresses over planning. They say it will all be fine. I prefer things prepared. Some detest planners and call them rigid, unable to sit in the moment, never spontaneous. That mindset is often the reason people stay stuck where they are.
I grew up watching family handle emergencies as sudden mayhem. No preparation, only chaos. So I weaned myself off the idea that urgency is the trigger. Preparation is something you build toward, so you are not chasing the dopamine hit of running around like headless chickens. You ease into any moment because you readied yourself ahead of time. That is the adult way.
This holds for artists across every lane, including those telling stories of afro-caribbean heritage, those producing black art, and those shaping work around identity and black women. Diversity in art thrives when the people making it secure their foundations.₃ Art galleries and agencies respond to artists who run their practice with this seriousness.
So it does not matter what you dislike doing, moving, replacing equipment, investing in software or knowledge. What comes with it is the pre-planning of the return on your investment. That asset is intellectual, propriety, or a tangible item. Now we are having adult conversations. Will you do the same?
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