Your environment is a precious resource — amongmany— for cultivating creativity. What you surround yourself with and consume can ignite your imagination (or stifle it).
We asked several writers and artists who regularly nurture their creativity to share what environments inspire them and others.
A Dedicated Studio Space
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Many of these artists get inspired “off-site,” while riding public transportation, walking in the woods, sitting quietly or even washing the dishes, she said. But it’s in their studios that the work occurs.
A studio offers tangible space and uninterrupted time to focus on exploring and experimenting, she said. Of course, studios and workspaces look very different depending on preference and availability. Grattan has seen everything from “a tiny corner desk in someone’s room [to] a cold converted garage [to a] massive well-lit warehouse…”
Collections of Inspiration
During their visits, Grattan typically sees studios and workspaces filled with inspiring materials. They house references that inform the artist’s work. “It seems key that whatever concepts or process or medium an artist is curious about and grappling with, that they be surrounded by material that in some way speaks to what they are working on.” […]
Comfort & Convenience
[B]ecause their studio needs to be a place where long, unbroken hours can be spent, where momentum can build, and where work is brought to culmination. So they must be able to comfortably occupy their space for long periods without leaving.”
Creating Moments of Curiosity & Surprise
“Creating an environment that ignites imagination has a lot to do with creating small moments of surprise and curiosity,” […]
A Sacred, Clutter-Free Space
[U]ncluttered, open, organized so I can find what I need easily […]
Flexibility
“I don’t have hard-and-fast rules about the ‘where’ of it, because I never like to place restrictions on the places or circumstances or environments where creativity can happen,” said Stein […]
In reality your space may be secondary, according to Grattan. Just carving out a place for your creativity to thrive may be most critical. “Ultimately, I think it’s less about what the studio space looks like or what objects or books might live in it. It’s more about the fact that someone has made it a priority to create a space for themselves – literally and metaphorically – to actually make work in, and I think the act of making is what ends up being the biggest source of inspiration.”