Having an inspiring workspace is something I highly recommend for creative types. Your workspace becomes a refuge, a place for you to go to create where it’s safe to do whatever you like and make whatever you want.
The ideal situation would be to have a room to yourself, but not everyone can do a whole room, and that’s cool. My creative workspace is my desk, which is pretty good-sized and has a shelf and cubbyholes on top for storing everything I like to have on hand. If you can’t do a whole room in whatever way you like, try just a corner of a room or a desk. Maybe you could even invest in some standing screens to partition the room and provide a bit of privacy. A good place to start is to make a list of the attributes that are really important to you in a workspace, and tend to those first. After you have the absolute necessities down, you can work on it feeling and looking inspiring.
Why have an inspiring work space?
Well, simply put, it’s a lot easier to work there! If you’re surrounded by things that make you feel happy and creative, you’re more likely to act that way. There’s also the fact that when you give an attribute of your life physical space, you’re giving it non-physical space in your life as well. In this case, that means you’re more likely to make time for creating if you have a dedicated space for it.
I thought y’all might like to hear input from others as well, so I asked a couple of my favorite creative mavens what their workspaces look like, and how they feel about them. Here are the results:
Andrea (of ABCCreativity)
my workspace is my creative cocoon. it inspires me. it motivates me. and it provides this safe incubation space for my creative energies and projects. i’ve filled my creative space with wonder and delight so that wonder and delight are always there for me when i need them.
Jamie Ridler (of Jamie Ridler Studios)
For me, an inspiring workspace is one that appeals to both my right and left brain. There has to be enough clear space to let my mind breathe and there has to be enough beauty to make my heart sing. I clear my desk every night so it’s like a blank canvas for me in the morning. It only takes moments for it to be covered in piles and papers as I dive into projects with abandon. Two of my favourite pieces in my workspace also reflect this duality: the clock I bought when I passed my coaching certification and the dreamboard that’s always right before my eyes. In their own ways, each keeps me focused, moving forward and inspired.
Zoetica Ebb (of Biorequiem)
I often hear that one’s workspace can say a lot about a person’s inner life. I’m not sure I buy it, but I am endlessly fascinated with others’ creative methods. Personally, I’ve never been able to work in a mess. I need all my tools to be easily accessible, and unless things are in what I consider order, nothing gets produced.
(photos & text taken from this post, with Zoe’s permission)
How’s your workspace look? What are your workspace must-haves? And what do you do to keep your workspace inspiring?
