Why Creating An Environment Is Essential For Generating Creativity - By Allison Sengkhounmany

Have you ever had a creative block and found it too hard to work on a project? This happens too often to many creatives whether it be sitting down and writing a new screenplay or drawing up a sketch. The creative process is one that involves many elements; however, I consider the preparation stage to be the most vital. Though this stage can be attributed to a variety of methods, each fall into putting yourself into a comfortable working environment.

When we take our surroundings into consideration, the entire creative process is enhanced. Fostering creativity simply requires the means to be in a space bursting with creativity and inspiration. Similar to how a clean space can be key to productivity, a creative environment is essential to sparking a new creative palette. This doesn’t have to be a physical location but can be a mental environment that promotes innovation.

Listening to music is certainly a great way to get those creative juices flowing. Even if it doesn’t motivate creating, it’s helpful to release all your emotions and reflect those emotions into your creative work. Perhaps trying out new activities and testing multiple environments can help find the right one for you. For example: journaling can help to relieve emotions and build an innovative headspace, playing an outdoor sport not only makes you active but gets your mind going too. Meditation, or practicing calligraphy can help to alleviate stress, as well as to strum new notes on your guitar to soothe your inner musician. Here’s a list of more activities: Activities to inspire creativity -Swimming -Dance parties alone or with friends -Singing/karaoke

-Reading a new book

-Driving around the city

-Baking sweets -Making silly infographics -Freewriting

-Playing a board game with friends

-Scrapbooking

-Watching T.V shows/movies

-D.I.Y Projects

-Creating fun, random presentations

-Photography

-Vlogging your day

-Window Shopping

-Reorganizing your apps -Trying a new makeup look -Playing dress up

-Recreating Bob Ross paintings -Create videos to send to people without any context -Make Tik Toks/Instagram Reels

-Take a mini road trip Or rather you want to create the mood for a specific scene of creativity. Say you want to be under the stars while you write your sci-fi novel or in a Victorian-themed place, or while you design a Victorian-inspired article of clothing. Finding something specific to the scene being created can set the mood. For the examples mentioned above, create your own galaxy using different lights and props, or to get that Victorian vibe, you can visit an antique shop with vintage clothing pieces and relics from that era.

When it comes to creativity, our core five senses play an immense part. Viewers ultimately define their experience using the elements of sense, taste, sound, sight, and smell. To better activate your senses, light a candle for scent, play with a fidget tool (the bubble popping toys are particularly entertaining!), do a visual activity such as coloring, listen to a new podcast or have a snack to get your sense of taste going (add a refreshing drink as well!). Playing with various types of lighting within our environments can also play into generating creativity. Environments with minimal to no lighting can inspire more melancholy emotions. Environments with a lot of lighting can invite brightness, bring out feelings of happiness and signify new beginnings. Similar to lighting, temperature can be adjusted to adhere to the creative environment you are striving toward. Cool temperatures can inspire moods of longing, bitterness, and guilt. Warmth can symbolize love, joy, and determination. Additionally, a change in scenery proves to be beneficial for working the mind’s magic. For many, their hub for creation is on the internet, their phone, at home, the park, out in nature, etc. Venturing into a new location without feeling any attachment or pressure to work can nurture new feelings of inspirational emotions. This can be done in different ways such as… -Writing in your bathtub/bathroom -Sitting on the floor -Making a fortress -Going to a coffee shop -Sitting on a park bench -Going out to the pier/lake/ocean -Taking a stroll downtown

-Having a picnic -Watching the sunset -Visiting an art museum

-Going on a hike

-Visiting a botanical garden

-Visiting local stores and shops

-Eating out at a new restaurant

-Visiting a studio space

No matter how little or mundane these changes in the environment may seem, they positively affect our creative process, emotions, and the work we put out. So have fun, get creative! Make your environment as big or small as you want. The outcome might end up surprising you.

Article By Allison Sengkhounmany

Cover Page By Yifei Wang

Edited by Poorna Prakash