Space for Creative Thought

Many people set aside their summer vacations as times for creativity—during their breaks they’ll finally start to work on that book or screenplay or painting that’s been floating around in their heads since last summer, for example. Environmental psychologists, also known as design psychologists, have been researching the sorts of places in which people are most likely to think creatively for some time, and everyone can apply what they’ve learned.

Psychologists have found, for example, that we’re more likely to be creative in rooms with:

• Views of nature or a water feature
• Lots of daylight
• Leafy green plants
• Natural material finishes—wood surfaces with a lighter stain and visible grain are great at relaxing us into a mood that’s good for creative thinking
• Ceilings that are 10 feet high or so
• Warm-colored white light bulbs that make the space relatively (and comfortably) bright
• A few intriguing, thought-provoking items—say a couple of paintings
• Moderate visual complexity—not starkly empty or packed with stuff
• User controls, for example over temperature and personalizing tchotchkes
• The tools in place for the planned task. Studios may need a place in natural light for an easel and people working on laptops generally need a table and chair that’s out of the glare. Even though having tools in place seems like common sense, often people don’t consider them, or figure they’ll “get by”—which means their work suffers.

Applying what design psychologists have learned about the places in which people are most likely to think creatively can’t guarantee a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize. However, using what scientists have learned will provide a gentle shove toward creativity.