Reframing the Barrier to Entry

The Unexpected Studio

This week, I moved my art easel into my son’s playroom—a main thoroughfare of our home, basically in the doorway between our kitchen/living and the rest of the house. I dubbed it my Pop-up Playroom Paint Studio. Catchy, no?

While the move was made out of necessity (I had a deadline and my son is not a fan of my attention being elsewhere) it also felt symbolic—not just a logistical shift, but an emotional one too. It felt like a lightbulb moment for a struggle I have been working through: how can I simultaneously show up for both sides of myself throughout my days as both toddler-mom and artist? Or rather, how can I more fluidly move in and out of creativity and into conversations, playtime, errands, and life in general? There is a lot of nuance around this question, but one sure-fire way to help with becoming more flexible in a work flow is to remove as many barriers to entry as possible.

some stills from my timelapse (if you look really closely, you can see the blur of my son running back and forth -- just kidding)

What is a Barrier to Entry?

In economic terms, entry barriers are obstacles that make it difficult for new businesses to enter and compete in the market. For the purposes of this conversation however, I’m using the term as an analogy for the mental & emotional strides one must overcome in order to achieve and succeed and even begin in their goals. In creative terms, barriers to entry are the things that keep us from starting, showing up, or believing we’re allowed to begin.

Over years of practice, entry barriers are still a common occurrence for me. Now that I’m thinking about it, they may just evolve and grow with you, challenging you and helping you level up. That being said, the ongoing process of confronting your own entry barriers  may be somewhat of a daunting thought, but most definitely an endeavor worthy of pursuit.

Types of Barriers: Tangible vs. Emotional

Barriers come in all shapes and sizes—physical, mental, emotional. In the physical, an example might include having no dedicated workspace, which would then mean having to pack up and unload all of the supplies every time you’re looking to get started—a menial and annoying task needing completion before the creative process can even begin. Other barriers might include chores, childcare, and responsibilities in general that can make for sometimes constant resets. The dance of turning creativity on and off and on again can be a difficult one to learn.

This brings me to the mental and emotional barriers that can sometimes feel even more complicated to comprehend and overcome. Fear, perfectionism, and self-doubt can feel just as real as a closed door—thinking you aren’t good enough, prescribing to the idea that if it isn’t perfect it shouldn’t be shared, or even the imposter syndrome of thinking you don’t have a right to call yourself an artist in the first place. All are very real emotions that should be acknowledged and worked through. My advice to anyone who is an artist, a parent, or someone who is just trying to find themselves again: acknowledge and push through the resistance you’re feeling, ask for help when needed, set daily and weekly goals and look at them often, and chip away at your dreams in spite of it all. Start small and know that every action is compound interest—even one task a day can build something great with time.

Identifying and removing entry barriers seems like one of those in-between concepts that maybe doesn’t get enough credit for the progress and/or stagnation that it can produce. The balancing act of moving into that idyllic state of identifying and pursuing goals, to then be pulled back into the day-to-day grind of responsibilities, possibly even needing to reset and lean back into focus again can be jarring. It can also be an extremely large barrier to entry, sometimes large enough to never even get started.

Rewriting the Rules

I think the idea of a perfect entry point to any endeavor is a hopeful myth. The right tools, a quiet workspace, an increase in time, confidence, or money won’t do nearly as much for you as showing up will. In my Pop-up Playroom Paint Studio, I was looking for overlap instead of separation, and to give myself permission to be both mother and maker at the same time. While it might not feel very sustainable—working in the doorway between the kitchen and the playroom—that was never really the point. The point is to become more fluid and flexible in the comings and goings of my creative process, and to value presence over perfection.

So, is it the ideal setup? No. Do I still get a million little commands saying ‘momma come here’ or ‘want momma to do it’ as I’m simultaneously trying to paint and parent at the same time? Yes.

Are barriers a real and overlooked problem? Absolutely—but they’re also movable, reframeable, and often self-imposed.

Reflection prompts:

• What is my barrier to entry? Is it something I could shift, soften, or redefine?
• If I stopped waiting for the perfect moment, what would I allow myself to start today?