Inside My Analog Studio: A Place to Create by Hand

By: Bonnie Christine

Story Adapted From Pattern Magazine – Volume 6

Pattern Magazine is Bonnie Christine's quarterly print and digital publication for surface pattern designers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs who believe that how you live shapes what you make. This story first appeared in Volume 6, Marking the Moment, the autumn 2026 issue.

A place to create by hand.

About a year ago, a friend of mine was invited to visit the studio of one of the most prolific writers of our time. What he discovered has shaped the way I create.

The writer’s studio contained the work that needed to be done, along with the tools and materials he needed to do it. Nothing more. The studio was devoid of technology. Not just a closed laptop or a phone in another room. He had physically removed the wifi, so he could not make any external connections.

The writer had architected his space to inspire and, in a way, force the very action he wanted to take.

His action was writing. My action was making art by hand. But did my space reflect this desire, this action, to make art by hand?

I glance at the blank page, and the next moment, I find myself scrolling through email, Slack, or Instagram on my phone. The interruption is so small; I barely notice the shift. But over time, those glances steal the moments when I need to push through the messy middle. They keep me from sinking into the slow, layered (and necessary) work.

So I set out to curate a studio where creativity comes alive and technology no longer steers my productivity.

I built my analog studio.

Inside the Analog Studio

The analog studio is where I keep all of my reference books and inspiration photos, my art supplies and antique books, my moodboards, and the collected ephemera of a creative life. It's where I press flowers and sketch, and where I paint and play with color. It's where I hang herbs to dry, write with pen and paper, send snail mail, and do all the small things that bring me deep creative fulfillment.

There is no laptop in this room, no tablet propped up on a stand, and no notifications that ding from the corner. Just my hands, and the work in front of me.

It is the room where I become quieter. And when I step inside, my brain knows what kind of work it has been invited to do.

Wanting More?

Read the full story in Volume 6 of Pattern Magazine.

The complete analog studio feature (with more photographs of the room and the question Bonnie asks you in return: what would you architect?) is in the latest issue.