{ Book extract from Tonics For Your Creative Spirit }
How can your home nurture creativity?
For most of us, there really is no place like home.
This is probably because our homes play such a key role in our lives – they can affect our mood, our energy, even our self-esteem. (How great do you feel when your home is looking its beautiful best?!)
So, giving our homes some loving attention can be rewarding for us on many levels.
But did you know that your home can also support your creativity?
The home is a subject very close to my heart, and despite the demands of maintaining a home, I’ve found there are also many opportunities for creating an environment that supports our creativity and the resources we need to live a life of healthy, happy expression.
There are simple changes we can make to enhance our creative energy and our access to inspiration, in subtle but powerful ways.
Here are a few ways to create a home that both inspires and reflects your creative spirit.
5 ways your home can nurture creativity
1. Creating sanctuary
My all-time top tip for boosting creativity is to pay attention to your energy levels, in particular, your sleep life.
Creativity is energy, after all, and we are holistic beings.
When we feel vibrant, energised and well-rested, we are naturally creative.
Even though getting enough quality sleep is a common challenge, giving some attention to our homes and especially our bedrooms can really make a difference.
Creating a sleep-inducing sanctuary for our precious bedtime hours will provide a strong foundation for a healthy, happy, creative life.
2. Order is heaven’s first law
It’s commonly believed that mess and creativity go hand in hand – and it’s true that for some, ‘creative chaos’ sparks their ideas and imagination.
But for others, order and organisation can be equally inspiring.
An orderly environment can be soothing to the soul.
It can calm our racing minds, so we’re more able to access our inner world – the home of our creative spirit.
Putting things in order also creates a sense of control in our lives.
These feelings of autonomy are recognised as key ingredients for general happiness and wellbeing.
They also boost our self-esteem and confidence – two qualities that are very welcome on any creative path.
3. Super hero power
There’s a theory that the people we admire are expressing a gift or talent that is dormant within us.
So, who are your creative heroes or role models?
Who are the artists, writers, designers, filmmakers or creators that you admire?
Having a reference to your heroes in your home can help to keep you connected to your own creative visions and dreams.
For example, you might honour your all-time favourite with a beautifully-framed print on the wall.
Or perhaps a stack of books about the people that inspire you could adorn your coffee table.
Excellence is naturally inspiring, and catching sight of a master in your chosen field can deliver a powerful creative boost.
4. Art and beauty
Beauty speaks directly to our soul, bypassing our busy minds and working its magic on a subliminal level.
This is the creative realm, where our own ideas and creations are waiting.
Paintings or beautiful objet d’art that speak to your soul can stir the creativity that’s waiting to be expressed through you.
So, what can you display in your home purely for its beauty or aesthetic value?
It needn’t be expensive or impressive – whatever calls your heart will provide the right boost for you.
(Especially if you just love it and you don’t know why.)
5. Love where you live
New studies in Positive Psychology are revealing how wellbeing, happiness and enjoying life are conducive to improved creativity.
So, simply creating a home that fills you with a sense of joy, security and contentment will naturally enhance your creative powers.
For maximum benefits, be guided by how you feel.
Which items, decors or colours excite or interest you?
Curiosity and playfulness are hallmarks of the creative spirit, so feel free to play, have fun with your home.
Trust your enthusiasm, eagerness and delight.
• • •
As interior designer Naomi Cleaver writes in her beautiful book, The Joy Of Home:
“To design a home is to design happiness,
to create for ourselves a little piece of joy.”
~ Naomi Cleaver
Then, whatever the size or shape of your corner of the world, if you love and enjoy it, your creative self will soon become a regular guest.
Dive deeper…
If you’d like more simple ways to harness wellness practices for creative boosts, my Starter Kit is for you.
It’s a series of the holistic principles that I’ve discovered and developed from almost a decade of holistic creativity coaching, supporting lovely wellness-seeking creatives just like you.
This is for you if;
• You want to enjoy more clarity, momentum, inspiration and flow in your creative life
• You’re craving support, encouragement or guidance but not quite ready for private coaching
• You want to learn more about my holistic approach and all its lovely benefits
Discover the full suite of holistic creativity courses…
Related posts…
Comfort Zone Stretching for Introvert Creatives
CREATIVITY & WELLNESSWelcome to Part 2 of this guide to healthy and happy Comfort Zone Stretching for Introvert Creatives. In Part 1, I shared the (slightly vulnerable) story of my first and possibly last live media appearance. And we left our plucky heroine in...
Healthy and happy ways to expand your comfort zone
SUCCESS & LIFE BY DESIGNPart 1: How not to expand your comfort zone (if you value health and happiness) The following post is a short story I shared in 2019, and back then it was only available for my newsletter subscribers, because I felt at the time it was too...
How to be more productive (when you just want to sleep)
CREATIVITY & WELLNESSSleep, Wellness & Productivity Tips - Designed for Creatives As a proud napper and passionate advocate for the power of sleep and wellbeing, my collection of sleep-related tips for creatives has been steadily growing over the years. So I...
This post is featured in Tonics for your Creative Spirit…
Available now: The Book of the Blog
HOLISTIC TIPS FOR A HAPPIER CREATIVE LIFE
