My Creative Space

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A book review of My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation by Donald M. Rattner (48 Techniques According to Science)

A book review of My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation by Donald M. Rattner (48 Techniques According to Science)Stars: ****

Skyhorse Publishing (2019)
Interior Design/Creativity
288 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: A great deal of psychological and productivity research has gone into discovering how the design of the physical environment can improve creative performance, yet nearly all of it has focused on the workplace, commercial spaces, and schools. What has been largely overlooked is the one place we spend more time in than anywhere else and where more people than ever are now working: the home. My Creative Space shows how readers can boost their creative output by applying science-backed techniques to the design and decoration of their home regardless of size, type, style, or location.

With over 200 stunning color photographs of creative spaces, including many designed by top architects and interior decorators, this lavishly produced book will inspire readers while offering practical and specific ways to transform your own home into a creative haven. Read about the best lighting to foster a creative environment, how to use walls to capture ideas, why round shapes spur greater creativity than straight lines, the benefits of incorporating nature into your surroundings, and more. Whether you’re an artist, design professional, writer, entrepreneur, work in a creative industry, or pursue a personal passion for pleasure, this book is an invaluable guide for turning living space into creative space.

My Creative Space

I thought this was a book about interior design and it is but it’s more than that. It’s a book on how to be more creative both by making your house more conducive to creative pursuits but also by what you can do personally to inspire creativity.

The book is based on science and an explanation for each suggestion is given, backed by research or studies and it’s all very fascinating. Did you know that the colour blue inspires creativity more than any other colour? Or that dimming the lights might help you come up with more ideas than bright light?

The book starts by explaining what creativity is and isn’t and the science behind creativity. Then the creative process is discussed as well as the psychology of space and more. Then the book divides the 48 ideas into four main groups:

  • Appearance and Appurtenance* (look at something blue, take in a view, face your space etc.)
  • Space, Time and Creativity (Be flexible, gather in a circle, choose curved over straight etc.)
  • Ambience (make noise, let in natural light, adjust the thermostat etc.)
  • Action (Sleep, Make a fire, Exercise, Daydream etc.)

*To answer the question that you’re wondering, appurtenance is “an accessory or other item associated with a particular activity or style of living.”

Each idea includes colour photos of real rooms from around the world that are doing that idea well. The only thing I would have liked better about the book is that the photos are nowhere near anything I’ll ever be able to do or afford so while I looked at them and daydreamed about living there, more realistic/common photos might have been better.

If you are designing or redesigning a space for creative pursuits, these ideas will help you make decisions about how you want to set up the room or what colours or layouts you want to use. If you are stuck with the space you have because of money or something else, you can at least try to do the action section to be more creative.

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About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.