Create a Space to Create

One year in. Do I dare say how long it’s been since I dyed my hair. I’m pretending the long grown out roots are a style — you know like a deep ombré. I look around my room or should I call it my home office — too bad I can’t mask my room as ombré.

I know there are some of us that have used this extra time at home during the pandemic to reorganize and redecorate our space. *add quote here* And maybe that’s how you started off — energized and motivated to revamp your space but as the months started passing and the work from home routine started to settle it might now look like a tornado has gone through selective sections of the house.

So how do we get motivated again to reset and refresh our space? Well it all starts with finding a simple why. Let’s face it, cleaning up just for the sake of cleaning up isn't enough of an incentive. Your motivation has to come from a deeper place. Imagine how your new refreshed space will make you feel. That calm, relaxed, “this is my space” feeling. So we start with questions like what creative passion have you wanted to do but have always put off? Do you enjoy writing? Painting? Maybe your passion is drawing? Maybe your creative passion is reading and writing poetry. Maybe you want to explore songwriting? Whatever passion is speaking to you, you need a space for it to grow. Basically you need to create a space that will allow you to create. This becomes your motivation; the ability to have space to let your creativity wonder, live, and grow.

Now that we have covered the most important part of refreshing your space, your motivation, I will list some simple steps on actually doing it.

1. Take things in small steps. You can’t refresh your entire house all at once. Start with one room or even a section of your room like your desk for example.

2. Start sorting things into categories. Again, don't get overwhelmed because that will just cause you stop the entire project or cause you to forget your why. Get 4 large bins ready. Label them with the following: Keep, Donate, Sell, Miscellaneous. Keep: The things that you actually want Donate: Things you don't want anymore and are easy to donate. Eg. clothes, blankets, wall pictures. Sell: Larger items that you can sell. Eg. Desk, chair, lamp Keep sorting until the section of the room that you are working on is empty.

3. Vacuum and Clean the room or section you are working on

4. Start placing the things from the “Keep” bin back into your space.

5. Sit for a couple minutes in the section you are working on and take in the energy of the room. Do you like the angle of your desk? Do you like where the light is shining? Do you feel comfy? Do you want to add a throw or a heater?

6. Change the ambiance of the room with a simple addition. Changing the ambiance of a room can really change your mood and make the space feel refreshed. You can add a candle, a light fixture, or even the flameless candles with the remote.

7. Add things beside you that make you feel relaxed. Water in your favorite bottle. Some snacks in a glass bowl. A book or magazine that makes you smile. Just think, if you were a celebrity what things would you ask for in your dressing room. Put these things around you.

As you create your space keep this quote in mind: “I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.” - Mahatma Gandhi

For me, I created a space for painting. As my brush hits the canvas, the world pauses just for a minute and in that silent minute my mind begins to speak with colors. For the moment I'm creating, I am free from stresses and free to express my personality.