Facilitating creativity.
Being creative requires creativity. Sounds pretty obvious doesn’t it? However, creativity isn’t something you can just switch on like a light bulb whenever you need to- ever heard of writer’s block? If you want to get your creative juices flowing you need a dedicated creative space. Now, I’m not just talking about converting your spare room/summer house/garage in to an office, I’m also talking about headspace. Dedicating a little room in your head amongst the daily chaos that is just for you. Make it indulgent. Fill it with your wildest dreams, your ideas, your goals, and your unique quirks and let that colour spill out around you.
If you are lucky enough to have a little physical corner to yourself- make it your own. Even if it’s just a specific spot on the sofa, put something nearby that stimulates you and sets of that little muse. My spare room has morphed into my own private sanctuary of all things ‘me’. For example; I write historical/gothic fiction with heavy emphasis on the Victorian era and so my husband painted the walls a vintage green (using a tin of paint in the bargain bucket at the store), my long-suffering hubby then stripped the carpet and painted the floorboards (using and old tin of black metal paint he found in the shed), and topped it off with a second-hand Victorian styled rug (kindly donated by a neighbour). It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, it doesn’t have to be huge as long as it reflects you and your ‘vibe’. We then decked out the room with an old pine desk (another second-hand bargain), a pseudo Tiffany-style lamp (eBay) and some cheap shelving. The final cherry on the cake were a few nik-naks salvaged from the over-spilling curio cabinets in our local charity shops, et voila! I now dwell in my own creative space in an environment that reflects ‘me’. However, this does not mean that the moment I ensconce myself in my comfy chair at my battered desk and gaze upon all my pretties, that I am instantly able to write. This is where I refer back to that all important headspace. Set yourself a little daily ritual to get you ready to begin-
Make yourself a vision board. Plaster it with images of what you want to achieve both personally and professionally. Then spend fifteen minutes each day focusing on those images and really imagine yourself as having achieved them. Push those thoughts out into the universe and fill your creative space with positivity and belief.
Check your planner/ to-do list
Set your goal/s for the day and make them achievable
Give yourself three compliments.
Play a few of your favourite motivational songs, turn up the volume and sing!
Do whatever you need to do to get your headspace ready
You can make a creative space for yourself virtually anywhere! It doesn’t always have to be the same location- often when I feel the light fading and my muse’s sparkle dim, I head off into the mountains and let nature refresh my mind and nourish my soul. Ideas often come to me in those moments of calm reflection. Let the world and all it has to offer inspire you, and fashion yourself a dedicated area both physically and mentally that facilitates and enables your creativity to blossom.
Written by Author C.L. Monaghan
