From The Home Studio To Primary Place Of Work – Art In The WFH Age

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts magazine in the UK“, discover how art can help you to get the most out of running a creative business in the WFH age.

The coronavirus pandemic and reshuffling of society it brought forward has necessitated the movement of many workers into the home – creatives included. The idea of the home being a studio isn’t something that will come as a shock to creatives, but the degree to which the home is now crucial for creation is unprecedented. The proof is in the pudding and, according to the Creative Industries Council, creatives have adapted to home working and now form 6.9% of the total labour market in the UK. Some creatives may wonder exactly how they can make their living space double as a creative hub when spending so much time there; creative visionaries show the way.

Themes of boundaries

One major impact of working from home are the blurred lines between the professional and the private. Designing a home around the remote working age has created a necessity for smart storage, clean aesthetics, and, crucially, a way to psychologically separate those tracts of work. Creatives are better than most at expressing that frustration, and a highlight of lockdown-influenced work, published by the Financial Times, hones in on that.

Piece of Mind, an art exhibition that ran in July, explores themes of encroaching boundaries, and how self-care and psychological separation can help to split apart the professional world and its ever increasing impact on the personal. In the process, it provided some creative insight into how a home working space might work best.

Focusing on the art

That wider focus on art could help to actually coax more workers back into the office. It seems that, having worked remotely in environments that can, at very least, be designed in a way to match certain aesthetic tastes, young workers are prioritising those workplaces that provide inspiration. According to ArtNet, a majority of young workers have cited art in the workplace, and inspiring workplaces, as a driver that might get them back into the office. 

Living in the art

Back in the remote office and the above focus – on having inspiration all around you – is something that industry leaders in the creative fields have embraced. In a profile of three big names in the creative arts, the Daily Telegraph promoted interior and workplace designer Linda Morey-Burrows, who surrounds herself with her artwork, her best designs, and items that keep her curious despite the doldrums that set in for most workers across the country when tasks become repetitive. This works at scale; while those profiled may have the room for large installations, even art hung on the walls, music played from speakers, or books proudly on display, can help to inspire and remind remote working creatives why they do what they do.

Immerse yourself in art, and you’ll create a remote working environment that generates creativity. It is undoubtedly tough to deal with the crossing of boundaries between the professional and private spaces, but with self-care and a dedication to the craft, the home office can become a creative hub.

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