You might already be a creative, or you might just want to expand your creativity. Having your own creative space is an excellent way to explore your skills, abilities, and the inner depths of your mind. After all, it’s a combination of those things that will bring forth the creative ideas!
Here are nine things to try to expand your creative space.
By all means have a beautiful desk
Just remember it’s not the be all and end all of being a creative. Keeping it tidy will help, but don’t prioritise tidying over working.
Consider adding a plant
Certain varieties can actually absorb radiation from electrical devices like computer screens and TVs!
They also help to oxygenate the atmosphere, and they are a calming presence in a busy world. Make sure you choose one to suit your conditions – I have a sunny windowsill, so I have three miniature cacti enjoying the sunlight.
It’s nice to keep in touch
But put your phone away – and leave it alone. If you leave your phone on your desk, you’re more likely to be tempted to check it. So put it in a drawer or in your pocket, and check it whenever you’ve finished your task at hand.
Read, read, and read some more
One of the best ways to be creative is to become curious about the world around you. Get involved. Read books. Pick a topic that interests you and find out everything you can about it.
Have a space dedicated to ideas
It could be a whiteboard, a blackboard, or a good old-fashioned pinboard – just make sure you have somewhere to keep your ideas. It doesn’t have to be neat – it’s your space. If you get stuck on a project, go back to your ideas board. Maybe you’ve already found the solution – but just didn’t know it yet.
Storage is important too
It might not be sexy or glamourous but it’s important to have somewhere to store everything you don’t use every day.
If you store things electronically, remember to have a back up. Use a service like Dropbox or Google Drive.
It’s important to make space for down time
You’ll need time to rest and recharge. It might not seem productive but it’s during your time out that your subconscious has the space to get to work on all of the input you’ve given it while you’ve been watching videos, reading, or doing other research.
But you will need to get some work done eventually
There’s no getting away from it! Get down to whatever it is you need to do – and don’t put it off. If you’ve enjoyed the research, then chances are you’ll enjoy the work.
Be prepared for your first attempts to suck
But that’s okay. That’s what editing is for. And remember you can’t edit a blank page – so you’ll need to actually get the work done in the first place. Your creative space isn’t just your physical space – it’s your mindset too. So get your mind sharpened for the editing phase!
