How to design a creativity boosting workspace

The space you occupy, the way it looks, and the way it makes you feel, has a huge impact on your productivity and ability to generate fresh ideas, especially in a creative field. A stale work environment could make even the most creative minds lose their sparkle. This is why it’s so important to put a little effort into arranging your workspace to get your creative juices flowing.

Inspiring décor

Gather things that bring you joy – photographs, postcards, headlines, quotes, or favorite mathematical equations and create a moodboard to hang over your desk or anywhere within sight. Fully customizable to reflect your personal style, interests, projects, or even seasons, it inspires and uplifts with every look.

Eviva l’arte!

No creative space is complete without art. Any type of art is good – paintings, graphics, photography, sculpture, maybe even a small art installation. There is a plethora of options available and the process of choosing a piece can be inspiring in itself. Set up a workspace that is personal and expressive to unleash your creative potential.

The power of rest and relaxation

Downtime is a part of work – your workday should include designated time for you to rest, charge up your batteries, and kick your creative mind into high gear. The best ideas and the most inventive solutions often appear just as you get up from your desk to have a break.

Take it even further by arranging a small break corner – a space where you can, just for a moment, escape work, have a cup of tea away from the screen, read a few pages of a book or an article completely unrelated to your profession (remember that sometimes inspiration strikes from the least expected direction). If you have a home office, add a comfy sofa and a coffee table, and if you work from your living room, you can probably skip this step. Before you log in and start your day, prepare your resting space the way you would your workspace: bring the book you want to read, some snacks, and a drink – whatever it is you need to unwind and reset.

Grow fond of nature

“You know me, I think there ought to be a big old tree right there. And let’s give him a friend. Everybody needs a friend” – Bob Ross’ timeless philosophy fits the biophilic trend prediction from our 2023 trendbook. The movement champions deep appreciation of nature by bringing it inside our homes. Potted palms and tiny succulents alike help lessen stress, improve air quality, and, to some degree, reduce noise.

Furthermore, a Human Spaces report from 2015¹ claims that people working in places filled with greenery and other natural elements are around 15% more creative than those in offices without the presence of nature. Dedicating space for even one plant is important but also super easy with Oakywood’s wooden succulent pot – small and simple, it fits even the tiniest of desks.
¹  https://www.ciphr.com/advice/plants-in-the-office/

Creative hues

Choosing the paint for your interiors is a hefty task as you have to consider not only its aesthetic, but also psychological aspects. The colors you surround yourself with at work affect your productivity, creativity, mood, and even blood pressure. For example, a creative space benefits from blue which, while relaxing, stimulates imagination. Other known creativity-boosting colors are green, orange, and white.

Light or dark?

Optimal lighting is not only important for eye health, it also affects productivity and creativity. Access to daylight minimizes eye strain, sleepiness, and the risk of getting a headache during long hours in front of a screen. It can help you be more efficient and less easily tired. On the other hand, it is also beneficial to submerge yourself in darkness from time to time. Research conducted by Anna Steidle and Lioba Werth shows that dimmed light has a positive impact on creativity. Maybe it’s in the darkness, as the overflow of outside stimuli disappears, that imagination wakes?