{ My Ideal writing haven – via Remodelista }

This is a guest post by Brooke McAlary of Slow Your Home.

You’re fabulously creative folks, I know. You paint, you write, you crochet, you jewel, you stick mustaches on things… And for all of those creative pursuits, you need space – both mental and physical.

For some creative work, you don’t need much physical space. Knitting is highly portable, as is writing. But if you’re a jeweller, or a clothing designer, musician or graphic designer, some space is a necessity.

I understand many creative folk love the idea of really letting loose in their creative space. To go all Jackson Pollock and fling paint with wild abandon. And I get this. I really do.

But when it comes to creating good work, and creating it consistently (particularly if you pay the bills with your creative work) I’ve found the opposite to be true. The more organised and minimal my workspace, the more likely I am to be productive, creative and effective.

Today is all about inspiring you to create the kind of workspace that will see you produce your best stuff. Finish your novel, design a new jewellery range, write a ballad or create a website.

A slow workspace is:

• uncluttered
• organised
• well planned
• inspiring

Working in a slow studio means:

• you are less likely to get distracted
• you will be more productive and effective
• you will associate it with work, and switch your head to that mindset
• you will save time by not rifling through piles of supplies and materials

Now, I could get all wordy on you and tell you what your space should look like, how you should be organising your materials, where you should put your desk and why you need to incorporate inspiration.

Instead, I’m going to show you. Because who doesn’t love to look at beautiful spaces?

#1 Let The Light In

No matter the space, you need light. And natural light trumps artificial.

How can you argue with the beauty of natural light streaming in to your creative space? Even if it is just your dining table.

{via The Cool Hunter | Riccardo Carrara on Flickr | design*sponge }

#2 Smart Storage

It’s hard to avoid bulky materials and supplies when you’re a hand-maker. So invest some time and thought into what requires storing and how you would best use your space to do that.

Think Up: Use shelves to store supplies, utilising your walls and freeing floor space. This will help make the space look and feel bigger.

Make it Portable: Use moveable furniture. It’s easy to add castors to a shelving unit or a small desk, creating an entirely portable workspace. Then it can be packed away when not in use.

Reuse: Put your green goggles on and look out for containers like glass jars, tins and plastic containers. These can be used to store materials and equipment, making it easier to find what you need, when you need it.

{ via Going Home to Roost | Apartment Therapy | somethings hiding in here on Flickr | The Lone Arranger | Homesick Designs }

#3 Get Organised

When you have multiple to-do lists rattling around your head, your creativity can become blocked. So get organised.

Write it down, get it out and free your mind to do what it does best – create.

Consider using blackboard paint on the walls, a giant calendar, magnetic whiteboards or a desktop calendar. Whatever works best for you is the best solution.

{via Apartment Therapy | Unclutterer | Russell and Hazel }

 

#4 Work With What You’ve Got

Expansive craft rooms or whimsical garden hideaways created just for writing – these sounds amazing. Instead, most of us create on our laps, at the dining table or in a nook we’ve carved out as our creative space.

Instead of longing for extra space, make the most of what you’ve got and don’t let size be a barrier to awesome.

{via Unclutterer | Design Dreams | StashVault | Desire to Inspire }

 

How To Create Your Own Slow Workspace

When you’re creating your own slow workspace, you need to consider:

Space: How much do you have? How much you need? How many materials/supplies do you need to store? Is your equipment bulky?

Time: How often do you create? Daily, weekly, occasionally?

Inspiration: What inspires you? What helps your creativity come to life? Try and incorporate some of those things into your workspace.

Motivation: How do you get motivated and stay organised with your work? Bring these elements into your workspace and see your productivity improve.

And remember – none of these solutions need to be expensive or complicated. It may just be a matter of decluttering and buying a calendar. Or removing your bulky desk and replacing it with a slimline shelf instead. Keeping your glass jars to store buttons and adding some castors to your shelves so you can move them around as needed.

The whole point of the slow movement is – well, slowness. So take your time and let us know what changes you would make to your creative workspace to make it slower.

***

 

Brooke McAlary is an aspiring minimalist, blissful gardener, passionate writer and inappropriate laugher.

She is also a happy wife, busy mum, slightly weird Australian and creator of the insanely helpful Slow Home BootCamp.

She blogs at Slow Your Home and is on a mission to help you find the simple life you want.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter multiple times a day.