THE STUDIO IN REAL LIFE
Welcome to the Collector’s Room.
I’m so glad you’re here.
This is a space where I share the heart of EBC Loft my creative studio oasis where art, design, and storytelling come together. Through branding concepts, commission paintings, and illustration, I’m building work that reflects our culture, honors beauty, and serves with purpose.
Opening Note
What this season in the studio really looks like.
This season in the studio is full.
Between filing taxes, finishing art pieces, ordering samples, and preparing for summer shows, the energy around EBC Loft has been high. In the middle of all of that movement, I’ve also been thinking about how to make these processes more streamlined so that when the time comes to grow, delegate, and ask for help, the systems are already in place.
There’s a lot happening, but I’m learning that building something meaningful often looks like managing both vision and logistics at the same time.
STUDIO NOTE
“Progress rarely looks glamorous while it’s happening”
When you’re in the middle of getting things together, progress does not always look polished. Sometimes it looks like being pulled in a million directions while still doing your best to keep moving forward.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what progress really looks like in my day-to-day studio life.
After my morning yoga practice, I do my best to get to the gym at least three times a week, usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. From there, the studio work begins.
From 8:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., I protect my creative block. This is the time I dedicate to painting projects, concept development, and commission work.
Later, I move into my business growth block, which rotates depending on the day:
Marketing and content strategy
Outreach, partnerships, and collector relationships
Website and shop updates
Applications, proposals, and grants
Systems like pricing, workflows, and Notion organization
This is where next quarter’s income is quietly built.
Around midday, I take a break and head to the kitchen to make lunch. As a vegan, I usually keep it simple; a roasted veggie bowl, a salad, a wrap, or whatever random recipe TikTok decided I needed to see.
From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., I focus on client work or larger EBC Loft brand tasks from organizing collateral and product offerings to refining the overall client experience.
Later in the day, I shift into lighter tasks that require a little less mental heavy lifting:
Writing captions and scheduling content
Editing photos
Packaging orders
Bookkeeping check-ins
Gathering references for future projects
Then from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., I wind down by taking stock of what got done and what needs to carry into tomorrow:
Write tomorrow’s top three priorities
Tidy the space
Close tabs—literal and mental
On the Easel
Current progress on Keep It Movin’
This week on the easel, I’m sharing a closer look at a piece called Keep It Movin’.
This work speaks to the need to make a way out of no way. It reflects the reality that sometimes, in order to move toward something better, you have to leave certain things behind.
In the lenses of the sunglasses, you’ll notice a shopping basket resting in the sand dunes, along with footprints that gradually disappear into the distance. Together, those details point to movement, transition, and the tension between scarcity and possibility.
I also challenged myself technically with this piece by using modeling paste to build texture into the surface, adding another layer of depth to the story.
A Piece of Insight
Why Keep It Movin’ needed more time
I’ve always been drawn to adding texture to my artwork because it helps bring the piece to life. Texture grounds the work and deepens the viewer’s experience of the concept.
With Keep It Movin’, I first experimented with some of these ideas on another piece before returning to refine the composition here. I decided to zoom in more closely on the figure with the glasses so the viewer could have a more intimate experience of the contrast happening within the lenses: scarcity in the desert landscape on one side, and full, abundant rose petals on the other.
That contrast became important to me. It serves as a reminder of both the lack we may experience and the beauty and abundance that can still exist around us even when we struggle to see it clearly.
Corporate to Creator
Building structure without losing freedom
There is something powerful about building systems within your business.
Even in corporate environments, systems are what help maintain consistency, quality, and trust. The same is true when building a creative business of your own. You want people to know they can come to you and experience a certain level of care, intention, and quality every time.
For me, taking the time to structure my day and create systems around my workflow has helped me stay accountable to the progress of my business. It has also eased some of the anxiety I feel around deadlines and the many moving parts of entrepreneurship.
As James Clear writes, “Habits do not restrict freedom. They create it.”
That idea has stayed with me. Structure does not take away my freedom—it supports it. Creating routines, systems, and intentional habits gives me more room to build boldly.
Sneak Peak
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Sneak Peak 〰️
Collector’s Sneak Peek
What’s coming next
New Digital Prints Drop coming soon.
I’m circling back to Black Owned Business to finalize details and prepare it for varnish so it can officially join the collection.
I’m also getting ready to release a print drop featuring digital artworks from my archive that have not yet made their way to the website. These are pieces I’ve held onto for a while, and I’m excited to finally bring them forward.
More soon at EBC Loft.
Closing Reflection:
Letting the process be enough
Getting through the day, whether it feels hard or unfolds exactly as planned is still enough to keep you moving forward.
I don’t know about you, but my goal is always to make a little progress each day. At the same time, I’m learning that part of growth is actually taking the time to acknowledge what has already been done. That kind of reflection helps me see the progression more clearly and appreciate the journey while I’m still in it.
What part of your own process are you learning to trust right now? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear what this season looks like for you.
And keep an eye on EBC Loft for upcoming work, fresh prints, and what’s next on the easel.
Keep creating. Keep innovating. Keep believing.
Thank you for being in the room.
— Edmond B. Murden
Founder, EBC Loft
