Nesting in your Creativity: Making your Creative Space your Whole World

I became well acquainted with “nesting” during my pregnancy. The nursery had to be done and organized, the dining room had to be rearranged, and the guest room was reimagined entirely. Naturally these spaces are areas in which our family needs to be able to function, especially as we made ready to welcome our latest addition. However, another space was top of mind for me - one that was required to be made into a state of constant readiness: my desks. Were these spaces required for immediate use? No, especially given the fact that we were about to welcome our baby boy which would leave no time, desire, or calm in which to engage with my creative practice for an indeterminate amount of time. The idea that I would create in these fist weeks with a newborn was laughable, but not having a designated space to create in should the desire arise was intolerable. 

With fervour I invested my limited energy into organizing and setting up two designated creative spaces, one in the dining room which really is more of a full craft, creative area for work and play with art supplies, my laptop and typewriter-esque keyboard along with all the notebooks, textbooks, colouring books, and creativity magazines (specifically bella grace and in her studio) required to indulge any creative whim. My upstairs desk, located in our main bedroom, has a quieter presence. It is an old secretary scroll desk, housing journals new and old, day planners of the past full of memories I can’t let go of just yet, and old school notebooks topped with inspiring favourite novels and works of Shakespeare. Here is a sanctuary to unwind and reflect in each night beside the baby’s space. These are important spaces for me to have in my home as centres for reflection, exploration, and centering. However, it is not always possible to create in these physical spaces. 

In the event I am trapped under the baby on the couch in our book laden living room during contact naps, or out and about visiting the family homestead five minutes down the street, I never like to be out of arm's reach of my cherished creative endeavours. I have what I call my comfort bag which holds a plethora of creative inspiration aids and tools to be utilized at any moment anywhere. In it, I like to keep at least one, if not two books, an in her studio magazine, my laptop and keyboard, current day planner, and the holy grail ideation notebook. In the event I cannot lug around this beautiful bag of creativity, I at least bring a novel and the ideation notebook, which is small enough to fit in a modest purse or the diaper bag quite easily. I also make good use of google drive as my platform for my writing and blog WIPs so as to access them from any device anywhere. This level of mobility of my creative work brings flexibility to my creative practice. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of nesting to me though, isn’t in the physical spaces or the tools I use and move around with me to engage with my creative practice; it is the building of a life that encourages creativity to flow through it so that I might never been in a position to be starved of the opportunity to create. I try to foster a life of curiosity and growth, taking the opportunity to try new experiences and create pockets of time to discuss and share creativity; an activity in which my family and friends indulge me. I would even argue that the creation of this blog and social media account are not only mobile tools or cultivated creative spaces online, but are also a part of the creative lifestyle I am determined to surround myself with by engaging with the community on Threads and Instagram and screaming into the void about my love for creativity. It has created a sort of mindfulness practice around finding creativity in my day and mulling it over for a future blog topic, poignant post, or a quick jump on reels or threads to presently engage with creativity in my life as it happens. My chosen career in Pedorthics is also a way I have carved out a creative life; by making a career out of crafting custom orthotics out of a variety of materials in ever evolving ways to solve problems and pain. 

Nests are structures that house various animals.  Nests are cozy, warm, and inviting. Animals nest in twigs and leaves and mud. But some fill those structures with shiny ornaments, cozy fabric, and curious items found in their day to day. They create a place of safety, a place to raise a family, to learn, to make mistakes, and live. We humans do the same thing, only we call it a house. At its base parts it is mud and leaves and twigs. I want to fill our nest, that protects and fosters what I love, with my family and my creativity. May we all make nests in which to grow and revel in what matters to us most.