Write2Ignite

When we were children my brother and I would sneak down the stairs before dawn on Christmas mornings. We’d sit in the dark at the bottom of the stairs trying to guess what presents were under the tree. One Christmas two large shapes loomed out of the shadows, setting our imaginations on fire. After what seemed like hours, our parents arrived and turned on the lights, revealing 2 desks. Yes, 2 wooden desks with three drawers on each side and a shallow middle drawer. Our mother was a teacher, so perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised, but we did feel kind of, ahh . . . let down.

When we were children my brother and I would sneak down the stairs before dawn on Christmas mornings. We’d sit in the dark at the bottom of the stairs trying to guess what presents were under the tree. One Christmas two large shapes loomed out of the shadows, setting our imaginations on fire. After what seemed like hours, our parents arrived and turned on the lights, revealing 2 desks. Yes, 2 wooden desks with three drawers on each side and a shallow middle drawer. Our mother was a teacher, so perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised, but we did feel kind of, ahh . . . let down.

Only later did I realize what a great gift my mother had given me—my very own space to create by drawing, writing, dreaming, and even doing my homework.

As I’ve read and studied books by and about Christians working in creative fields, they’ve emphasized over and over that our creative work has a higher purpose.

Through it we can praise God and serve others. Like the work of a Christian in any field, God has called us to use His gifts to bring salt and light into the world. For a fuller discussion of the purposes of our work, see this earlier Write 2 Ignite post Finding the Higher Purpose for Our Creative Work

Our creative work is important and we want to stay creative, so in the next few posts I’ll be writing about some practical steps for that. In this post we’ll look at some ways to make our creative space a place where we can enjoy thinking, planning, scribbling, researching, typing, dreaming. It may be different for each person or for different tasks. Some people work best in quiet spaces at home. Others like music or the bustle of a coffee shop. The spaces may also change with the circumstances of our lives. It may never be the idyllic cottage at the beach (sigh) or cabin in the mountains, but we can make our working space one we enjoy and one that can help us continue over time to serve God and others with our creative gifts.

Lessons from Improving My Creative Space

Recently I needed to make some changes to my creative space. The afternoon sun shining behind my computer gave me headaches. And my space has to serve a dual purpose of writing and making art samples for my blog and my art classes, but all my art supplies were in the basement. I was continually trotting up and down stairs for something I’d forgotten (good for my health, but bad for keeping going on work). I didn’t have lots of money to spend, so I began with some questions:

• How can I rearrange my space so I have lighting that’s good for my eyes?
• What can I do to make it more comfortable and promote better back, neck, hand, and overall health?
• How can I better organize my different projects so I can access them efficiently?
• What do I need for the different creative work I do?
• Do I have any shelves or other pieces of furniture I can repurpose to get my art supplies closer to hand?
• What can I do to have a surface for making art that can be easily cleaned and not endanger my computer?
• What are some extra touches that will make my space a pleasant place to work?

11 Ideas To Make Your Creative Space Better  

1. If you share your space at home or at a coffee shop, it’s more challenging, but here’s one thing I did for the many years I shared the kitchen table. I had totes and baskets for projects and tools that I could stack and stash away. We moved a lot, and sometimes in a small house that was under the bed!

2. If you work in a noisy place, try some noise-cancelling headphones.

3. Try repurposing some shelves for supplies and be creative in their placement. These shelves left after a neighbor moved fit perfectly in my closet.

4. Wherever you work, photos of family, keepsakes from vacations or favorite pastimes, plants, or music can make a space more pleasant. If you work at that table or coffee shop, choose one small photo or keepsake to take along. You could even rotate these.

5. I keep a lot of files on my computer, but I still like hard copies for planning and storing paper resources. Binders have been helpful for me. And if they have dividers with pockets, even better, because I can quickly stash a small note or brochure in the appropriate pocket. Check out the Write 2 Ignite blog and its archives for more tips for organizing your work.

6. A chair that supports your back or adding a back cushion to a present chair is worthwhile for your back health. This article has some great ideas to keep your back healthy in the workplace, including getting up periodically to move for a few minutes—check the dryer https://www.uchealth.org/today/prevent-and-help-back-pain-at-work/

7. An adjustable stand or stack of books to put the middle of your computer screen at eye level is another way to take care of yourself as you create your stories and articles.

8. If you wear glasses and find you’re leaning forward to see your screen, stressing your neck and shoulders, or your eyes are often tired, you might ask your eye professional about what are called computer or workspace glasses. Many people find them helpful, and they can also be tinted to block out more of the blue light your computer and other electronic devices emit.

9. Some of my planning gets pretty messy, like this photo of some planning for art classes, but at the end of the day I like to clean up and have everything ready to go for the next time I create.

10. Some of our creative work can be done away from the computer. I enjoy planning with pencil and paper. Taking a walk helps me think and see new perspectives for my work. When I’m reading actual books for research, I move to a comfortable chair inside or outside.

11, Last but not least, sometimes a furry friend can make your space warm and inviting. Here’s my creating buddy, Molly, the Artsy Corgi.

Your Turn. Tell Us Some Ways You Have or Would like to Improve Your Space to Encourage Creativity

Kathy O’Neill is an art teacher who loves to show everyone they can draw. Visit her website http://www.kathy-oneill.com/ to discover more about her writing and workshops, and her blog https://kathythepicturelady.wordpress.com/ for a Christian view of great art and related projects and devotions for children. Kathy’s goal is to engage children’s and adult’s hearts, hands and minds to discover God and their own creativity through art, history, and nature