No space? No Excuse for a Lack of Creativity

If we’re lucky, as a kid we had our own bedroom. If we’re really lucky as an adult we have our own craft/sewing room. 

Not that many of us can be so lucky, especially if we have kids in the house too or are living in a small space. So how do we make space for creativity when there is little physical space for us?

The truth is, though, you don’t need a jaw dropping studio to create. It’s nice to have that, but not necessary. Any creative act needs time and the space in your brain more than anything else. So just as you may need to clean the kitchen counter to cut a quilt, you need to clear some space in your brain for the action. You can have a great idea and the desire to make, but getting bogged down in clearing physical space makes it disappear. Once you’ve done that the rest is details.

Go to bed with a clean workspace

Whether that is your dining room table, a desk in the corner of the bedroom, or your own cutting table. Leave it neat and tidy at the end of the day. Organize the project you are working on to be ready for the next time you can visit it, but leave the space clean and ready.

I know, there are people that thrive on chaos. For you, I only suggest that you leave the current project on top or in another prominent place, so you can get right to it when opportunity strikes.

Dedicate a time, not a space

Indeed, it is the dedication of time, not space that is more important. You can always figure out the space. People make quilts in trailers and bachelor apartments! Finding the time is always more difficult. Search your day, steal time from mindless games on your phone or TV. Get up a touch earlier or go to bed a bit later. Schedule it, commit to it, embrace it.

Sketchbook time

We can’t always sew. Especially when space is at a premium. So keep a sketchbook handy to jot down or sketch quilt ideas. Pinterest is great, but clicking links is not the same thing as engaging your body. So take notes, so to speak, of what inspires you.

Fabric equals home décor

For years my scraps lived in large coloured jars on the sideboard of our dining room. Function and decoration in one. Colour sorting them would take that one step further! Not to mention the joy of carefully folded and sorted fabric recreating a fabric store at home. Perfect for your sewing room or the living room!

Make, or invest, in a good sewing machine cover

Part of cleaning up every night is putting the machine to bed. Especially if you have to sew in a shared space like the dining room table. Having a good cover for your machine is necessary, having a pretty one is even better. If you can’t buy one, sew one. Try decorating the hard cover, if you have one, with Sharpies or decals.

Think outside the sewing room

Still stuck on finding space even to put your machine? Think outside the walls of a sewing room. A room just for sewing is a definite luxury for most of us. But kitchen counters are the perfect height for cutting, swap out your sofa side table for a vintage sewing basket on legs, add your stash to the linen closet or the sideboard.

Use your creativity to make the space so you can make space for creativity.