The importance of space

Creating a space that speaks to our creative souls

I have ‘spoken’ about this often and in many different contexts. I believe that creating a space where the creative soul can speak freely is so important to our sense of wellbeing. Our homes are complex places that serve many different purposes. I have four children and when they were all small it was chaos! Their ‘stuff’ dominated but still I created a wee corner of the boys bedroom just for me and my stuff. While they tackled the latest train empire I was happy to sit in the corner making handmade cards or stitching a brooch for a friend’s birthday. As the children grew my space changed and eventually I had my own space and it was transformational.

I had been training as a meditation teacher so this heavily influenced my sense of creative space. I had developed a desire to create a ‘still mind studio’. The purpose of this was create a quiet, gentle space where I could sit and just ‘be’. From those gentle moments I was sure creativity would flow and I was right. Since creating my still mind studio I have never once had a creative block or suffered from creative fatigue. As a space it has nourished me and come with me on endless and fulfilling creative journeys.

Every aspect of what made up a still mind studio was considered to include things like how to be ‘present’ in the space, how the space might inspire my creativity, how my own work would feature. It even included establishing an indoor garden. This extensive thinking has meant that my studio has stood the test of time. As a seasonal artist I refresh my space with the shift in season and I find that deeply cleansing for my creativity. When nature is your teacher you are never short of ideas.

These photos were taken by a very dear friend, Debs and I will always be grateful. She beautifully captured the essence of my creative space.

I wonder how you define your creative space? I have taught widely on this subject and always enjoyed hearing about other people’s spaces and how they work for them. Last year I created a tiny sewing space in our box room and it is my go to space when life gets a bit overwhelming. My beloved late Grandmother taught me to sew when I was very young and I think she would be proud. I recently inherited her sewing basket which I have restored and it takes pride of place in that wee space.

I will leave it there. x