Creative Spaces - Keeping Creativity Alive

CREATIVE SPACE INSPIRATION | CREATIVE CLIMATE INSPIRATION

Looking for creative space inspiration? This is where we profile beautiful, functional and positive creative spaces to give you ideas on ways that you can establish spaces for creativity in your home or school.

What does a creative space look like?

Well, that depends on whether we are talking about physical creative environments or psychological creative climates! What you will find here is a bit of both. We’ll take a look at spaces that promote creativity – whether you have an entire room to devote to creativity or just a rolling cart that can be stored away! We will also discuss ways to promote a positive creative climate. The type of space that you cannot see but you can certainly feel. Climate plays a big role in establishing the right energy and motivation for creation. You’ll find inspiration for that too, right here!

A Space to Create - Creative Space for Kids

What does a creative space feel like?

Think about a time when you were most creative. Where were you? Who was there? What was the mood? Was music playing or was it silent? What were you feeling? What did your ideal creative space, not only look like, but feel and sound like? THIS is what we’re talking about when we talk about creative climate. Swedish researcher Göran Ekvall identified 10 climate dimensions (nine positively correlated, and one negatively correlated) that affect creativity in organizations. Many of these dimensions also ring true for creating a safe environment for creativity in the home and educational settings.

Science Experiment

7 Simple Ways to Create a Space for Creativity to Flourish:

You have set aside a corner, a room or a little area devoted to creativity, now what? Here are 10 ways you can create a space for creativity to flourish in your home or school:

1. Observe your child
First, take some time to observe your child(ren). See what they are interested in. What sparks their curiosity. What questions have they asked lately? Start making notes on what your child is most keen on… this is a great place to start. We first need to identify what motivates them otherwise we might as well be designing this space for ourselves!

2. Gather your materials
This step need not be arduous or costly. Simply gather materials that you have at home. What you gather depends on #1.

3. Idea time and support
Provide time and be in support of trying new ideas.

4. Set the tone
Let it be fun and all about them.

5. Hand out ‘mistake’ tickets
Do you have a child that worries about doing things ‘the right way’? Hand out ‘mistake tickets’: a symbolic representation that it is okay to make mistakes. Give them ten and let them know that when they are through with them they can have ten more! They never run out. This helps to relax the environment and make it a safe setting to explore new ideas.

6. Let it be their own
Give freedom for them to explore and be in control of their experimentation, creation or whatever it is they are doing.

7. Celebrate their ideas!