The Creative "I" Project-Part 3

The Creative "I" Project:  Architecture of Space

          The space I chose is less for creativity and more for helping me to engage on the task at hand.  It allows me a quiet and what I see as a tranquil secluded place even though it exists within my family room.  It is the space I choose to go and work on lesson plans, readings, and graduate work assignments.  My dog, Louie, often enjoys sitting with me looking out the window or snoozing.  During the spring semester, I frequently will sit with a hot cup of tea, as my husband keeps the fire going in the fireplace next to me.  Ahhh…it’s quiet, it’s comfortable, I feel loved by my dog and husband, and for some odd reason I am able to tune out my children as they play around me sending Nerf bullets zipping by.  In moments of deep thought, I look out the window as I think and contemplate the issues presented to me by my professors, and form my ideas while preparing my responses to assignments.  I enjoy the light that the little corner offers, both natural and from reading lights and track lights above me.  It is the chair my husband indulged me with when I began my Master’s program.  It is the chair that I pictured myself sitting in for long periods of time, reading and working on my projects.  It has been “that” chair and “that” space which has helped me both physically, mentally, and emotionally work towards my Master's.

Summary:

          As a teacher, I typically set up my classroom before the year begins with everything in its place.  The classroom library is in the back of room away from the Smartboard, the tables are up front to optimize the view of the board.  The book boxes are close so they can get their folders without wasted time and the calendar area has all it’s parts set up nicely.  Each and everything has its place.  After reading the article, “Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21^st Century: A Room of Their Own” I have come to realize that this workspace at school I’ve created is a top-down model.   

          Now to think about my “study” space at home, I realized I attempted to work in several locations before settling on the “study” corner with my new chair.  Again I approached this with a top-down strategy.  My thoughts were to set up the best learning environment that I imagined.  A table was a necessity with space to set out all my books with strong lighting.  That was my optimal “study” space I envisioned.  So I started my studying at the noisy kitchen table (with good lighting, I must say), then moved to my bedroom where I thought the quiet would help, to the front living room which was uncomfortable, to my cozy chair in the corner.  It was a comfortable chair, in a quiet corner, but still helped me feel connected to my family.  The fireplace next to it allowed for me to place my caffeine (as all students seem to need), a warm feeling of content as I worked through my class assignments, and a view of outside.  After much trial and error, I realized that for me my optimal learning space was that soft comfortable leather chair in the corner, with my computer on my lap, my book next to me, and my dog giving me some love by cozying up to me.  I realized that I needed to adapt and my environment needed to adapt to fit my needs for the “best study spot”.   With this idea in mind it is clear that Christopher Alexander believed that, “…architecture emerges from the lived experiences of people.” (pg. 6)  With this philosophy, my natural instinct to seek out an environment that worked for me, it required different locations within my house, and understanding that moving my chair to the corner would have the greatest impact on my ability to focus and succeed.