I made the mistake of thinking that before 11am and after 5pm I would have time to focus. I didn’t take into account the cleaning of the museum at early hours, repair works, special visits, tours, evening events, etc. I also underestimated how much time a remote kitchen, bathroom, and shower would consume. In fact, my stay at the McCormick House is the opposite of an artist residency, which provides an environment where artists are shielded from daily chores and any interruption that would interfere with their work.