My Three Biggest Tips for Workplace Creativity

I’m incredibly excited for today’s Tech-Talk Tuesday post because it’s a little different from many of the others! Now that we’re heading into the thick of wedding season, it can be easy to get lost in the busyness and loose my creative streak.

Creativity is something that must be cultivated and protected. It’s easily exhausted. It is fleeting when met with stress and enigmatic when placed under the pressure of a rigid schedule. And as much as I wish I could wake up in the morning and say, “Okay, Tuesday. I’m going to be incredibly creative from 9am to 5pm today.” I’ve found that my brain doesn’t work like that. I have to actively and intentionally create an environment that cultivates creativity.

So today, I’m sharing my top three tips for inspiring workplace ingenuity!

Tip One:  A Clean Desk

Just as a painter begins each new project with a clean slate and a fresh canvas – I need to start each day with an organized office and an empty desk. By getting rid of the clutter in my physical environment, I feel much more free to write and dream big.

It seems like such a simple task, but anyone who works at a creative job from their home office knows how quickly you can feel mentally buried beneath the physical clutter that exists in front of you! So clean your desk, declutter your shelves, and give yourself the clean canvas that you need to be creative.

Tip Two: Soft Ambient Noise

Discovering the power of white noise was a game changer for me! I’ve always had a slight case of Creative ADD with a massive amount of conscious energy that keeps my brain running in a million directions, completely unable to hone in on one singular goal or project. Playing a soft Pandora Station (my personal favorites are: Joshua James, Phox, or Dave Barnes) or the background sounds of a bustling coffeeshop through my new favorite App – Coffitivity or the DIY Ambient Noise Generator Noisli help to gently sooth my brain into concentrating creatively! A soft noise from general silence (about 20 db) to a low-level white noise (about 50-60db) appears to be ideal for enhancing concentration thereby contributing to an environment that may lead to enhanced creativity.

Although not everyone agrees that white noise enhances creativity, there is a really amazing Neuroscience Study on the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition (JSTOR) that I found especially interesting… but again, that might just be the Nautical-Nerd in me!

Tip Three: High Ceilings + Plentiful Light

Here is where you might laugh at me because I’m about to admit something that will sound a bit silly… We bought our house for the ceilings. Yes, you heard me. Our house was built later than most of the others in our area and therefore has higher ceilings… and from the moment I walked in to the light-drenched bedroom on the second floor – I knew that this room was going to be my office!

The high ceiling theory has also been studied and many believe that having a large amount of vertical space in your environment cultivates creativity – “Across several experiments, the researchers found evidence that high ceilings seemed to put test participants in a mindset of freedom, creativity, and abstraction, whereas the lower ceilings prompting more confined thinking.” (Fast Company)

We believe this is due to an increased visuospatial exploration (as signaled by increased activation in the precuneus and middle frontal gyrus) which you can read even more about in the Journal of Environmental Psychology!

When I envision a dream studio space or an artist’s loft – I see white exposed brick, tall windows, high ceilings and bright light, so I try to create this environment or work in similar conditions when I can. I chose an airy grey paint for my walls and keep my blinds open whenever I’m not editing. It helps me to feel ready to take on a fun project or create for the sake of art!

If you’re feeling confined in your space, try seeking out a local coffeeshop with plenty of light and high ceilings or, when possible, take your work with you outside! (I’ve written some of my best blog posts on the dock!)

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