The art manifesto, continued: 3/7 - PROTECT & ENHANCE YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE

I'm a particular & territorial person, which does not bode well for many reasons, and can be very ill-suited to parenting young children. But I know that underneath my fierce personal tendency for spatial control lies this truth: you need to protect your creative space.

When you shape a space and make it sacred, you open up TIME as well--time for the particular activity around which that space is shaped. For any creative workspace, one should make it so little else besides your work happens in that space. And it should feel easy and pleasant--beautiful and at the ready (even if "ready" means "messy"). That way, coming to that place becomes an automatic trigger to creatively engage.

So while your creative workspace matters deeply, it does not matter what size or shape or particular location it takes. I started working on my bed in my room, long ago. Then I had a desk (and would spread out on the floor or bed). Then, two desks. My space could contract or grow in the future for a variety of reasons, but the key is this: I have a space.

And so I protect my space; I stake it as mine and reserve it for my work. And I enhance my space: I resourcefully surround myself with the setup and the tools I need easily at hand.