Desk Tour: Abbey Crain

A peek inside this journalist/artist/night owl's cozy studio.

Welcome to Desk Tour, a series where I interview creative folks about their desks and workspaces. In case you missed it: Ayana Lage’s Desk Tour from last time. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full catalog of Desk Tours.

Though I have wracked my brain, I can’t remember exactly how I met Abbey Crain. I do know that I have followed her online for maybe a decade at this point, and we once met at AOC East in Yorkville and had drinks and (if I had to guess) truffle fries. I also know that when I think of people I have “met” online and almost instantly admired, Abbey comes to mind immediately. Over the years, I have watched her develop her writing and art career, vulnerably share about her fertility journey, and advocate for reproductive rights in her home state of Alabama and beyond. When I saw earlier this year that she met Vice President Harris to share her IVF story in the wake of Alabama’s ruling on frozen embryos, the truth is that I wasn’t surprised at all. Abbey has always seemed, to me, to be the type of person who could accomplish anything. Nothing would surprise me. She is the kind of person who makes me want to create more art and speak up more loudly. We’ve only met once so I don’t know if I can say I “know” Abbey, but I do know that she regularly inspires me through her work. I thought of Abbey immediately as someone I’d like to feature on Desk Tour, and I hope you enjoy getting to know a small slice of her life and space as much as I have over the years.

OM: Describe your workspace.

AC: My studio is in a spare room that was originally intended to be a nursery. My fertility journey and art journey are tied in a way I don't think I noticed until recently. We bought our house at the beginning of the pandemic and planned for the spare bedroom with the most light to be a nursery. I set up a small desk in there "temporarily" to use as a home office when my job as a journalist went remote, but always thought I'd swap it out for a crib. My partner and I went through several rounds of IVF and I leaned more and more into my art practice. Slowly but surely my art/writing space grew from a lone antique vanity that I used for Zoom calls to a desk that spans the length of one wall with enough room to for both my art and writing. My workspace now encompasses the entire room, my portraits, plants, and collected ephemera filling up every nook and cranny.

OM: What are your three favorite items on your desk right now? 

AC: I love to collect trinkets and art objects that inspire my work and delight my dopamine deficient brain. I call it my curated mess. I think right now my favorite objects are a Virgin Mary statue my friend got for me in Spain, my Aphrodite statue that I often revert back to sketching when I'm in a creative slump, and the books. I can't pick just one, because the books on my desk are the a rotating selection of my favorites depending on what I'm working on or am inspired by.

OM: Do you keep anything specific at your desk that you use as inspiration to stay creative or positive? 

AC: I'm always pinning different things that inspire me to my cork board or taping art up on the wall above my desk. It changes a lot. I recently hung up my plane ticket to DC from February when the Vice President invited me to share my IVF story with her when Alabama gave rights to frozen embryos, derailing many patients healthcare. It reminds me that my story is important and that I have a powerful voice and should continue using it.

OM: Is there anything you absolutely HAVE to have at your desk/workspace or you can't be productive?

AC: I really like to set the vibe when I'm working on my art or writing for myself. I use my desk for my day job, so when I'm done with work, I like to clear the space and set the tone for just me. That usually includes lighting a candle, fixing myself a fun bev, turning on my music, and laying out my projects in an aesthetic, engaging way that makes me want to dive in.

OM: Is there anything you'd change about your workspace? If so, what?

AC: More storage! I am a collector, a collector of objects (hands, teacups, virgin mary art) daily ephemera, postcards. It's hard for me to throw things away because I'm always thinking of ways to incorporate the them into art or my journal. I could definitely use some more shelves or drawers so I have more places to put things away.

OM: Describe your ideal work day at your desk.

AC: My ideal day in my studio is actually a night in my studio. I am a night owl and feel most inspired and motivated at night. I'd probably sleep in and have a slow morning/afternoon drinking coffee, reading, shopping the farmers market, popping by an antique store, sketching and jotting down inspiration along the way. Once I got home for the evening, I'd prepare some sort of girl dinner to snack on throughout the night. I'd have a couple projects going on so I could work on different things between coats of paint drying, all with some cringy Netflix teen show playing in the background. I'd work 'til midnight and reward myself with a sweet treat.

OM: Where can people find you on the internet?

AC: I have a Substack (which I'm still trying to figure out the cadence for), my art website for my commissions, and I'm working on a documentary about IVF and reproductive rights in the south.

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Note from Olivia: I have to admit that this was partially a selfish Desk Tour on my part as I was dying to see more of Abbey’s studio after seeing snippets of it on Instagram for so many years. Her space is creative, comforting, and thoughtful, which is fitting because those are all words that remind me of Abbey herself (or at least what I know of her from following online!). I really hope it inspires you to follow Abbey and her work in the future!

See you back here in two weeks for another desk tour from author

Andrea Bartz

. And in the meantime, be sure to check out the past editions:

• Amy Estes’ Desk Tour

• Iman Hariri-Kia’s Desk Tour

• Becca Freeman’s Desk Tour

• Clémence Michallon’s Desk Tour

• Sarah Jacobson’s Desk Tour

• Ayana Lage’s Desk Tour

PS: One last thing before I go… you can order my first novel NOW! I appreciate your consideration, time, and support immensely.

A portion of June’s subscriber proceeds will go toward the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is currently working to build, enforce, protect and defend legal protections for reproductive rights around the world (including in Florida, where I grew up, and there is currently a 6-week abortion ban).