Living as Art: Inside Ruth Asawa’s Prolific Creativity

artist dates, unfinished work, and the art of staying curious

Jun 20, 2025

the living room, reimagined

What if the living room in your home was dedicated to creativity? Instead of conversation or television. What if every surface was covered in materials, creations in-process, inspired documents, & musical instruments. What if the expectation of every visitor to your home was to make something and add to the bounty inside?

Surrounding ourselves with beauty is inspiring. But surrounding ourselves with the act of creating… that’s something different. It invites us to stay curious. To participate. To remember that art isn’t just a final product. It’s a living, breathing, sublime process

In my own studio, there are more materials than finished pieces. The in-process pieces have an infinite potential. They have so much life and movement and awkwardness. Once you complete a piece it’s almost like it goes to sleep. That’s one reason I love working with perishable materials. Their impermanence makes them so special. They have a life span.

Watching my Living Sculptures evolve over time is endlessly inspiring.

When I set up for a workshop - I love laying out all of the materials, samples, & tools. I put on the right music and set out the custom name tags. Setting the tone and holding the space for students to feel safe to explore might be my favorite part.

artist date: sfmoma

That inspiring Living Room pictured up above was the actual living space of Ruth Asawa & her 6 children. I learned so much about this incredible artist at her retrospective at SFMOMA this week. I made the trip with my friend Andrea: art lover, incredible human, and the owner of the magical art supply store MYSTIC in Mill Valley, where I sometimes teach. So sweet to share this exploration & education with a kindred spirit.

In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron describes these so-called Artist Dates as a weekly solo excursion to spark imagination. It’s a way to stay creatively connected — not by making something, but by letting yourself be moved by something.

drawing with wire

There’s something mesmerizing about seeing how an artist known for one medium actually embraced many. Asawa is known for her delicate sculptures made from a continuous piece of wire, but her ink drawings, watercolors, and folded paper are equally powerful.

Some of her drawings are technical sketches working out the forms the sculptures would soon embody:

Others are delicate contour drawings of botanicals. These masterful ‘sketches’ often appear to be just one single, unbroken line. As if she felt beholden to the sculptural process even when drawing. Her contour drawings feel like wire. Her wire sculptures feel like drawings in three dimensions.

In my own practice, I work across many mediums: watercolor, pen & ink, floral design, ecoprinting, wool painting, ceramics, wood, weaving… One material often inspires another. A watercolor illustration might echo an ecoprint. The color story from a wool painting might find its way into a floral arrangement. It’s not about mastering one form or one concept — it’s about listening, following the thread, and letting each medium teach you something new.

practicing living as art

Taking time to experience art — in a museum, on a trail, or just by noticing the light through your window — fuels your curiosity and revitalizes your creative spirit. It reminds us that art isn’t separate from life. It is life. It’s how we make a meal, arrange a shelf, style an outfit, or even organize our iPhone screen.

Take a page from Ruth Asawa and fill your space with possibilities — with the tools to create. Start practicing living as art.

workshops

Can’t invest too deeply in this idea at home? If your roommates, sweetheart, or family can’t handle the beautiful mess — let me set the space for you. My workshops are the perfect excuse for your own Artist Date. Come bliss out, explore materials, discover new things, and get in the flow.

workshops in California

The turnout for the workshops has been AMAZING — thank you all for showing up and being awesome!
🌿 Wool Landscapes June 20 | Fiber Circle SOLD OUT
🌿 Shibori Fun June 22 | Fiber Circle
🌿 Meadowood youth & adult offerings

workshops in North Carolina

I know finances feel stressful right now, so I have scholarships available for anyone who needs one. Creativity is Wellness 💛

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👉 Interested in hosting a workshop at your home or business? Reach out!

Protect the Delicate | Discover the unseen | Value the overlooked