Yikes! Where did October go?…and the holidays are right around the corner! Less than 2 months until Christmas! I started making my Christmas card and gift list this past weekend… can’t believe it’s already getting to be that time of year. Whew. The hustle and bustle is upon us! (But in all honesty, this whole year seems like it’s been full of hustle and bustle!) I will (guiltily) admit that I CAN’T WAIT to put up my Christmas tree. I love the holidays!! …and speaking of the holidays, Halloween is this week…are you ready? It’s QUITE a creative time of year with costume-crafting, house-haunting, and lots of creepy creations to be made!
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” – Steve Jobs
I have a craft room at home. I’ve only been able to have such a room for the last two years, and it’s not nearly big enough for me, but it’s a start. Someday when it’s less of a mess, I’ll post pictures (I’ve been doing crafting and painting and creating OH MY lately – and it is certainly reflecting it right now)… It is my creative haven though – I have my painting materials (brushes, paint, palette, easel, canvases, etc), my desk, various crafting supplies – beads, fabric, scrapbooking materials, a glue gun, wrapping paper, ribbons, holiday decorations… and that’s a short list…. I’m really happy with some things about it, but a few things could still use improving.
{From this article by Tam B. Nguyen}
I will say that my workspace at WORK work (the place where I go every day and do stuff so I can pay my bills) is also set up to help me be creative. My creativity at my day-job is executed mostly in the form of communication (with people) and problem solving. My cube is full of (other than paperwork, file folders, and labels galore) several pictures of friends and family, some colorful little knick knacks, and a few pieces of artwork from some pretty cool people. Happy memories and bright colors inspire me. I WAS very pleasantly surprised to find this article, Study: Messy work space sparks creativity, as my cube goes from SUPER organized to somewhat more like organized chaos at this busy busy time of year. Where is your creative space? What do you need to surround you to keep your creativity concocting?
“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” – Erich Fromm
To start, check out these 40 Inspiring Workspaces of the Famously Creative – including Mark Twain, Roald Dahl, Pablo Picasso, John Lennon, Paul Cézanne, Yves Saint Laurent…it’s pretty splendid to see where these inspiring folks used their gifts to create. Then, check out how to engage all of your senses at work to be more creative (see below). Finally, check out some creativi-tools I found doing some window-ish e-shopping…and if you still have more room in your noggin’, check out the bonus link…
Hope everyone has had a mundane-less Monday!
Oh, and P.S….here’s one more link just for fun: 14 Strategies for Creating a Workspace That Kicks Ass and Keeps You Creative.