As soon as one is capable of thinking about these things in any realistic kind of way, I knew that a career at a desk wasn’t for me.
…I type… from my beloved desk.
So I guess, more accurately, my feeling was that I didn’t want to have an office I went to day in and day out.
…I type…from my home office.
As a freelancer, I certainly don’t have the most conventional schedule. Of course, there is a lot of flexibility that comes with it. But I found that sometimes there might be too much flexibility. There is something to be said for having a designated space for your most productive self. And so, after months of struggling to pin down my productivity, I decided to make that space. Here are some of my favorite tips for creating a work space that inspires creativity!
I Got Sunshine…
Whenever humanly possible, set up your desk in a space that has natural lighting. It’s no secret that office lighting can be moderately soul sucking. In fact, studies have found that workers are far happier and healthier in an office space where natural light is optimized. And what are happy, healthy workers? More productive! If you don’t have that option, it’s okay! All is not lost! Bring your own lamp to the party and fill your space with the right kind of light for you.
Act Natural!
A little bit of nature does the soul good. Natural elements, even indoors, induce that same sense of mental serenity. So get your desk facing a window if you can. Hang a beautiful landscape on your wall, get a rock fountain. Find some tiny plant babies to bring the space to life. Hell, I even bought a desk lamp that looks like a tree trunk! Whatever it takes to make your wild, creative side feel a little more at home.
Add Things That Are Beautiful to You
Like with most things, inspiration begets inspiration. By adding things to your space that are inspired, or created from a place of inspiration, will intrinsically inspire you to create as well. So put a few things that are beautiful and tactile. I have a sterling silver, etched elephant figurine, a piece made of burgundy blown glass from Milan and a quote card from the magnificent Ai Weiwei that reads, “Expressing oneself is like a drug. I’m so addicted to it.”
So, what are you waiting for!? Go ahead and decorate, organize and nature-fy that desk and get down with ya productive self!