Your Workstation & a Place For Inspiration: Setting Up a Creative Studio in Your Home
We all know being a working parent is one of life’s big pressures, but arguably, one of the bigger pressures is if you make the leap from full-time employment to self-employment. Now, we don’t need to go into the nitty-gritty about balancing your work and life, but what does need discussing is how you are going to work at home, especially if you’ve got young children running around.
One of the key solutions is to set up a space in your home for work and work alone. This helps you separate your work life from your home life, albeit to some extent. If you are lucky enough to be able to expand your home or have a spare room, turning it into a studio for work is an option. Unlike a home office, a studio can be many things: your haven, your workstation, or your place for inspiration. So what are the things you need from your home studio, and how can you go about achieving them?
An Inspirational Space
If your line of work is in the creative sector, four blank walls won’t do the job. You need somewhere that gives you constant inspiration. In a family home, the challenge to keep everything neat and tidy can be dull and uninspiring, to say the least. Having things in a certain order doesn’t spark creativity. Think about what inspires you, and think about how you go about your own creative processes. Do you find yourself dry or lacking in ideas from time to time? As time goes on, and you are constantly trying to think of ways to be creative and form new ideas, the studio space needs to provide little nuggets of inspiration, wherever you look.
It all depends on your line of work. For example, if you write, it’s a fantastic idea to pepper works of literature around the space. If you find yourself struggling for a certain word or a sentence, you can pick up one of the most inspiring pieces of literature, flick to a random page, and it could set you off in a whole new direction. If you are a designer, essential tomes like The Art Book need to be on your shelf, but your favourite pieces of art should also be located in your periphery. There’s no reason not to feel inspired, so long as you have enough materials around you.
The Practicalities of the Space
You might have been able to build an outbuilding, or you are taking advantage of the spare room, formerly the junk room, but whatever your space, considering the practicalities to maintain productivity is imperative. This is all down to your specific choices, from the floor to the colour of the walls, and whether you need furniture or working equipment. If you do need furniture or a quality desk, it’s a good idea to look online, as you’ll have way more options and won’t be limited to what’s available at your local store.
This is a great way to inject a little more personality into your space, too. Sometimes, a space is so small that it can feel stifling to your creativity, but you need to make the most of what you have. If you have a small space, this is beneficial because it helps you focus your choices, since you can only have the bare essentials.
If you are setting up a studio space where you will, inevitably, make a mess, such as an art studio, it’s important not to overdecorate it, because you’ll be doing a lot of it yourself, albeit in a Jackson Pollock style! Instead, think about the entire space and if it’s practical to your creative flow.
For example, if you are someone who likes to pace back and forth while you’re writing, obstructions and mess won’t benefit you. Have a shop around, and speak with local contractors to get the safest material for your space, especially if you are building an outbuilding, or completely renovating a room so it’s going to be a proper studio.
If you’ve got a fair amount of space, you could also look at office partitions to separate the space depending on its function and usage. That way, you can get more from the spaces you create, rather than having it be one large, open room.
Something like polished concrete is one of those materials that might not have crossed your mind, but you need to think about the entire ebb and flow of your creativity – slippery surfaces aren’t going to lend themselves well to your work. Likewise, think about the workstations you intend to use. Standing desks are incredibly popular now because you can work with a bit more energy when standing. But if you are working on design projects, you need a space that is quiet enough for you to focus – soundproofing boards might be something for you to think about if you need peace and quiet for your work.
It is important to consider the different processes involved in creating a work-from-home business, and you need to get this right as much as possible. It is vital to consider the layout of your workstation for maximum efficiency, as well as where you will store your products and goods. You have to consider the studio’s layout, how to maximise space, and how to set up the perfect studio to be as creative as possible.
Ultimately, the practicalities of the space need to work with your creative flow, not against it, even if it is to the detriment of your credit card bill.
What You Definitely Need From the Space
Not just these approaches, but there are some essential things you would need to ensure that you’re going into the space to work, not to twiddle your thumbs! Working for yourself means that you can’t waste a single second, so you need to treat your studio space as an office. If you go in at 9 and punch out at 5, this is the best way to get the most out of your workday. So what do you need?
Apart from the essentials like high-speed internet access, appropriate lighting, and sufficient storage, it’s always handy to have a small fridge and adequate tea- and coffee-making facilities. We also recommend ordering some custom stationery to ensure you’ve got a set of pens, pencils, and notepads in easy reach at all times. It’s very common to need to scribble something down during a phone call or Zoom meeting, but then have no paper handy! And when your workspace stationery has your own logo or name on it, you’re going to love using it.
If you have made the transition from being employed to working in a self-employed capacity, and you need a space in which to work, these are a few of the essentials that can get you inspired and focused, but also give you that space to produce your best work. Dylan Thomas had a boathouse, and Roald Dahl had a shed. What do you need to spark your creativity?
This is a collaborative post.
