Thanks be to Dan.

So there comes a point in every artists life when they suddenly realize that a studio is absolutely imperative in order to maintain sanity.  This usually happens about..... oh, the second week of art school.  

If you're a financially stable artist, you can afford a place that's big enough for your all of your basics like a bed, your clothes, some decent furniture, a TV if you're into that, and maybe even a kitchen that's big enough to prepare more than Ramen if you can fit additional food groups into your budget in addition to all of your art goodies.  

But if you're a starving artist, you've got your bed (or an air mattress for 8 months, not saying any names, though), and some cheapo furniture from Target and whatever mom didn't want anymore, your clothes, your desperate attempt at a healthy diet, and the remaining 50% of your belongings are your art supplies.  If you're lucky, you've got enough space to make this work.  If you're not, then you're doomed to always have a messy room, always have paintbrushes and tronies in the drawers next to each other, and to always be forced to clean up after yourself when you're done just so that you have enough space to walk around the next morning to get dressed for work.

Not anymore.  Right now, my bedroom IS my studio and has been for the last year.  But starting August 15th, I will have what so many artists dream of and have to fight tooth and nail for to make it happen.  I will have a bedroom AND a studio.  Not only that, but I'll be paying for both of those rooms for the price of one!  This is right about where the clouds part and a ray of sunshine beats down like a spotlight on a young twenty-something covered in paint holding a half-full wine glass in one hand and a paintbrush in the other raised triumphantly in the air and with her mouth in a "O" shape makes a faint heavenly "oooooooooooooooooooh" sound with a bewildered look on her face and wonders how the hell this happened.

Long story short, through a series of crazy events, I'm moving into a new place (my 4th apartment in less than 12 months), but I think that this one by far will be the best living arrangement ever.  My good friend is giving me the hook up.  Not only do I get to be roommates with him, but I also get both my rooms for a sweet deal for the Metropolitan area, I get to shorten my commute to work by about two-thirds, as well as watch what happens when you put a chihuahua in a confined space with a cat that's twice it's size.  

This is going to be fun.