Creative Discussion – How Does Your Environment Fuel Your Creative Process?
Still striving to engage the creative community here at Fuel Your Creativity, we continue the on-going dialog with our online friends and colleagues. The first edition of the discussion was a huge success, spawning two related posts and the final wrap up of the question. So here is the next in our installment of questions about the creative process. Remember this is an open discussion with the creative community, so feel free to chime in below in the comments (and thanks to @dougneiner’s refined design, we have now have nested comments that make interacting with each individual commenter that much easier to keep the flow of dialog moving!). After leaving the discussion open for the month, we will be compiling some of the responses into a post on the topic at hand, so be sure to keep checking in on the talk as things develop.
How does your environment fuel your creative process?
Okay, so no wallflowers at this dance party…Discuss:
Rob is the talented author and graphic designer, celebrated podcaster and poet, who is now the co-editor and imaginative co-contributor of Fuel Your Creativity. With a background working through most areas of the arts, Rob works from a creative wellspring that shows no signs of running dry.
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I’ll get the ball rolling. Living in the foothills of Pike’s Peak in the creative little artist community of Manitou Springs is an incredibly inspiring place to be. So much amazing scenery and hiking right outside our door, that the creative energy just exudes through this canyon. Never have I lived someplace with this kind of effect on my creative flow.
We also have a pretty cozy workspace, filled with some of Angie’s original artwork adorning the walls. A couple of tye-dyed wall tapestries hang on the walls as well, surrounding us in vibrant, explosive colors! It’s really an inspiring space.
I work in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Just in the lowland east of the mountains. Originally the town was a huge tobacco community – but what’s interesting is over the past several decades the factories and farms have moved south and the factproy buildings turned into lofts, galleries, and apartments. Since NC School of the Arts is here we have a large art community with the slower pace of country life.
Our studio itself is floor to ceiling painted with really rich colors – dark reds, tans, deep oranges. The other designers and I each have our own space – usually filled with whatever music each designer listens to. We even have a company pool table in the front area of our office for lunch-time matches to help us relax and refocus.
We’re small too, so we know each other really well. Its almost a tight-knit family – and the studio reflects that. Its a smaller cozy space with couches etc for meetings instead of standard board rooms. Its a great place to work – professional but extremely inspiring.
That sounds like a great place to work for sure! So did the designers working there put the interior together, or was that done by someone outside the studio?
I’m the ‘new guy’ of the bunch at the studio so unfortunately I didn’t get too much input in the original setup. Our creative director originally ran the shop out of his house years ago – and started picking up too much work to handle himself. After hiring a few folks full time and finding a place, he started branding the studio to match the company – just like you would any other piece. It works pretty great in my opinion. The color schemes work well together. Our office even has a store-front type setup so when you walk by there are huge windows to look in and see what everyone is up to. We have a “left-brain” meeting room and a “right-brain” meeting room – which we use depending on whether its a creative meeting or a more logical/process driven meeting. Talk about setting the mood for a meeting!
I actually found a few photos – they are before we bought the big pool table for the front area and put up several pieces from our portfolio on the walls but the pics are pretty neat none-the-less.
http://www.pinpointcreative.com/office_portfolio.html
What about y’all – any shots of the studio? Its always really interesting to see what environments inspire others.
@ Will – Thanks for the pic. That’s cool, and it’s funny you actually touched on the extended topic post coming up next week where we ask people to comment leaving us links to their most creative places. The places around them that inspire them the most, be it an office or some place they go to get away. :)
I used to work at a design firm, we were a block away from a walkway along the Mississippi River and a few parks, we were free to take advantage of that at any time we could walk or go swing in the park or sit on a bench and people watch to get some inspiration, plus we were all designers and interacted and it was great. Now I work as an in-house designer for a high performance tooling company along side the interstate and I am the only creative here amongst engineers, managers and the shop workers. They don’t understand the creative process and it took me a long time to adjust to the cube and less freedom. I have decorated my walls and cabinets with my travel photos and have a large “project” white board that often becomes my canvas to draw and color when I need to and I keep all kinds of markers and pencils around to doodle. I still take walks, no park to swing in though-only interstate traffic to wonder where they are going.
Ouch, what a transition to have to make. Parks down along the Mississippi River, huh? Sounds like Memphis. When we were living there, that area was always beautiful down by the river…few blocks over, and most of the beauty was washed away by I-55 and all the rest of the city. Still some trees, but little else to look at.
Since I work from home I get to benefit from my wife’s amazing interior design and artistic skills. She has put together an Ikea version of a mid-century modern living/working space that is adorned with her own artwork. My desk butts up against the window so I have a feeling of the outside coming in. Add the music of my choice blaring on the stereo and I am inspired on multi-sensory levels. Nature, design, art, music and style come together to breathe inspiration into every moment I spend in the workspace.
That’s what I’m talking about! We generally always have something playing in the background as well. Music is always high on that list.
Environment is very important in my creative process. When I lived in Nashville, I loved going out to the hill country and hiking among the waterfalls to clear my mind and get inspiration. So many things about that area are beautiful. Great inspiration for me.
I don’t live in Nashville anymore, but I try to surround myself with nature’s beauty as much as I can. I also surround myself with visuals and posters in my office, and I keep my office neat and organized. That really helps too.
Wow, Memphis was a lot different than Nashville. I never made it over there, but I did get over to Gatlinburg and in that area. Very inspiring landscapes and scenery over there.
My environment plays a huge role in my creative process as well. I try to surround myself with art and various other things I find inspiring. I also try to alternate between working indoors and outside. We have a huge patio with an amazing view so on overcast days where I can actually see my screen outside, I try to sit out there and work.
When I’m at my desk inside, I keep my moleskines, my wreck this journal and whatever book I’m reading next to me to grab whenever I need them to help me get the creative juices flowing.
My envrionment is an office building. I am the only designer here which can be really hard sometimes. We are all pretty relaxed in here which is great for distractions when we need a break. I recently visited my friends business and he is surrounded by artists, designers and the like. The atmosphere there was just amazing and full on. Now I know what I am missing. Our office does get quite noisy too, which can make it hard to concentrate. Maybe not the best environment for a designer when inspiration is lacking, but you grow to enjoy your space.
I do understand with your space growing on you. I think it is because we end up personalizing our space as much as we can, and the longer we spend there, the more it develops into a comfort zone.
Sorry that it is not the most conducive environ for creativity, but your positive attitude sure can’t hurt!
i feel in design you also reflect your surroundings…
since environment is a huge factor we try to make things more relax fun and exciting..between colleagues..sometimes we pull each other leg…and do a brain storming in between which also clear out our mind block if something is cooking into your mind…
if i feel stressed out..i prefer to clean my desk..n focus on decorating my cabin.in whatever best way …some lan gaming etc etc.some outdoor rides.. Blah Blah
its very important for people in creative fuel to charge their creative rods..in whatever way they avoid crappy n hectic gadgets..rather focus on the simple life n nature as well.
“simplicity is beautiful”
I think that you are right, the simplicity of nature is an easy reset for the creative mind. As creative people, who generally spend our time online, we are inundated with the chaotic nature of the technology that feeds us. Nature really offsets that and offers a relaxing balance.
I love how beautifully other commenters have described their work spaces.
Mine is far from ideal with a beautiful but loud parrot and 2 beautiful squabbling kids at either side. I have a giant world map above my monitor on the wall which always inspires me, some nature photography on the wall too and i will often browse colourlovers for inspiration through color and css galleries or deviantArt for artistic inspiration.
Sounds like you have carved yourself a little niche to be creative in. That’s what I love about creative people, we find ways to craft our environment to fit us and our inspirational flow. And using the internet simply expands the reach of your ‘environment’ and allows for further exploration of the world around us. Gotta love that www.
How does the environment fuel your creative process? In many ways, but let me give you one example.
I am a storyteller. I often hang a work in process on a wall – not in a studio, but out where others and I can interact with it. I consider it a completed piece of art in the moment and it rests as it is and as I pass it by I find myself motivated to ponder it as it is and/or as it might be . . . . as “I is or might be” as It evolves. And at some point it ends.
A while back I put up a canvas type structure which I covered over with a piece of material backed by stuffing of a sort. The material was dark blue and full of stars which I accentuated with some little white dots. On the wall it looked like a big black hole from far away. Up close it looked like a cluster of stars (night sky) or a snow storm. It just hung out for a while – motivating me by what I saw in it . . . the possibilities. Eventually, I realized it as a womb and tore it open exposing the inner white stuffing that lay beneath.
Now it looked as if something was being born. Allowing the process to unfold – it became quite 3-dimensional with layers of depth exposed as I tore it even more and more over time.
This past July it began to fall down. I would hang it back up. Down it would fall. One day I realized it was time for the “babies” to be born . . . new projects, etc. I took it down but kept several pieces of the white stuffing – they look like white swirls of clouds or the “stuff of beginnings” to me. I have them here and there about my home.
They remind of the work I have to do – the excitement of it all and motivate me to keep going.
The whole process including the destruction of the piece happened over a 1 – 2 year time frame.
I’ve done this many times and have a new one in the works. The process and the work touches a lot of what I do in subtle and not so subtle ways (difficult to completely capture the experience in words). It fascinates me, moves me and my work. Allows me to learn more about the creative process.
And sometimes others have fun playing too.
Very cool and interactive environment you have created for yourself. Awesome idea. I really like the thought of watching it evolve, and allowing it to be ‘whole’ or ‘complete’ at the very stages of its evolution, while always feeling the possibilities it holds.
I design in a tiny, dark New York apartment so I try and transport myself somewhere else when I’m designing (in my head of course) -dp
The power of the imagination! :)
Living in rural northwest Illinois we are full of small town culture, beautiful scenery, abundant parks and interesting characters. While at my day job I get to work in a building that was built in the 1800s and I take inspiration from the history of, not only the building but the community it resides in. Next to our building is a Native American cultural center and a short walk from there is an old fort built during the Black Hawk War, which occurred in our area in 1834. Last week we were lucky enough to have the Sauk tribe and descendants of Chief Black Hawk visit the town and speak to us. Being able to hear and speak to people with such unique perspectives is always inspiring. All of this offers the inspiration I need to get through a work week.
At home and in my spare time I am able to gain inspiration from my own town’s beautiful city park and by spending lazy weekends floating down the Mississippi River or laying on a sandbar. More specifically, I like to spend time tossing the tennis ball and roughhousing with my two best friends and GOOD DOGS (get it?), Larry and Tala.
I have many sources of inspiration but the most joyful and meaningful source is my 4 month old son. Seeing the expressions on his face as he witnesses the things in this great big world for the first time is awe inspiring to say the least.
Its great that you are able to do that and spend time with your son, its an experience I hope to have myself when the time comes, and it was part of my decision to become a freelancer, now I can actually think about starting a family as a practicality. I refused to go down that road while being in a stressful office environment with the typical schedule and demands on your time that go with that.
Thanks. :)
It was a big decision to start a family and, like you, I waited until I was in a more comfortable (not to mention stable) situation. It’s still a lot of work but every minute of it, even the bad ones, are totally worth it.
I agree. Getting to work mostly from home and be here with Angie is worth more and is more inspiring than any place else I can imagine working.
I’ve found that my environment really does effect my creative process. Being able to have a bit of breathing room, proper lighting, and feeling comfortable are all very important. I also like to be surrounded by inspiration on some level, or at least have it be accessible. For the last few years I’ve been working in a department along side programmers, as a designer that was an interesting experience in adapting and making my environment workable, and although I miss the people since transitioning to freelance, I don’t miss the environment.
I don’t like working in a sterile enclosure with no windows and a lack of color.
I’m all to happy to be able to work in my own home office, or go down to the park or a coffee shop or bookstore for a change of pace. In the near future I plan to take my design work on the road and travel a bit to stay fresh and draw new inspiration for my work.
I like the idea of taking your work and inspiration on the road to see what it yields. Seems like such a freeing experience that it could not help but offer a veritable fount of endless inspiration! Let us know how that develops.
well… i’m no designer per se. i’m a clinical psychologist, blogger, poet, amateur photographer and professor at a uni in a city next to mine. one could say that i design people…
the environment plays a huge role in a person’s life when it goes on to inspiration and creativity.
these last 4 months have been very interesting since i have ressuracted my old LP collection and my father’s as well. listening to classical, jazz and brazilian popular music has been an awesome fuel to fire up my thoughts and insights.
i got my cat around me and pics taken long ago with parents, my sister and friends to remind me how good life can be.
once and then i listen to different music styles, check pics and designs around the web, travel and try to connect with people who have other background from mine.
i bought some books on phylosophy and i’m eating out as often as i can afford too.
it takes some transpiration to get a drop of inspiration.
Awesome insight. I really like the idea of firing up the old LP. If I had half a chance to delve into my dad’s LP collection I know I would find some really great stuff…wouldn’t be able to play it, since I no longer have a record player, but some great stuff, nonetheless.
Environment plays a large part in my creative process as well. I am not one of these (lucky!) people who can sit in the middle of a busy coffee shop and crank out masterpiece after masterpiece! While I don’t need complete silence, I can’t have the constant sounds of a major metro area blasting in my head while I’m trying to think.
I get that. We have our own select sounds piped in, and some white noise going to drown out the neighbors yapping chihuahua when she gets going, otherwise, she is a major hindrance to the creative process.
I had to think on this one a bit, I never really took into consideration how my location affected my creative process, or my designs. But it most definitely does.
I’m from Wichita, KS, and in contrast to other places I have visited, I like to pride myself in living in a very friendly, relaxed, and overall simple place. Most of the people here are very outgoing and never afraid to start up a good conversation. I think my designs reflect this friendliness in the simplicity that I try to keep in them. I never want to overclutter or even include anything that is not needed. Keeping everything as too the point and user friendly as possible. I guess I should note that my biggest field is web design and usability. So you can see how this would carry over. :)
Absolutely!
I’m near Charlotte, NC — but — when I think environment, I think about my actual space for working. For me, an environment that fuels my creative process has:
1. LOTS of light: I’ve worked in dark offices. It doesn’t work for me. Thank GOD I still have a MacBookPro with matte screen — the glare isn’t bad. (I’m waiting for matte to come back before I upgrade)
2. Awesome music: Ambient, acid jazz, etc. gets me in the zone (SIA is on right now!)!
3. Clutter free zone: I’m not a total neat freak, but I can’t get in the zone unless my desk is clean.
This was a great question, Rob! Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this topic, it’s inspiring me already.
I bounce between designing at work (partially) and designing and editing video at home. My office at work is stark white, with dingy yellow cabinetry. There’s a decided lack of inspiration with the exception of some good music – kept at a low level of course.
At home, in the suburbs of Cleveland, my spare bedroom has been converted into a cluttery office – a desk, some shelves, some hand-me-down furniture. There’s a decided lack of inspiration there too.
After this topic though I think I am going to spend my free time this week cleaning up and doing a little inspired redecorating. Maybe that’s what I need to get me out of my creative slump, an inspired environment! Thanks for the great ideas!
I live in Québec city in Canada and I would say that a positive environment helps to develop better creative thinking. I find a lot of my ideas listening to music while I walk in my little neighbourhood going to school. Thanks to ipods! I also have many friends with whom I great discussion and it oftens inspire me finding ideas.
I know that environment is important in creative thinking because I have lived abroad for a while (Scotland, Iceland and South America) and you get to see people who think differently and you learn to look at things from a new point of view. But that is no new facts… Lots of artists go travelling to find new insparation. I just felt it was a good point sharing it with you guys! lol