*This post is part of Free for All’s “Making Magic” series, which will focus on Kelley’s exploration of the opportunities in the library’s Creativity Lab.
“The hardest thing about writing is applying your butt to a chair.” That’s the advice that my college creative writing professor gave us as freshman and, although it sounds like an easily dismissed oversimplification, I find that it holds true for most creative pursuits. Whether you paint, write poetry, work with clay, embroider, or compose music, it’s all too easy to tell yourself that you’ll work on your project later, when you have more time or when there are fewer distractions at home.
Recently, I’ve been reading a book called The Invitation by Oriah, and in the chapter about commitment she tells us that when you think about it, there are really very few things that actually have to be done. Do you have to feed your children? Yes. Do you really need to dust your house? It could probably wait. I’m here to tell you that there will never be more time and that there will always be new distractions to replace the old ones, so go put your butt in that chair.
When I want to focus on a project, it usually goes better when I bring myself to a space designed for that purpose, but many of us don’t have such a space available to us at home and that’s why the library’s Creativity Lab is so important. In the Making Magic posts I’ve talked a lot about the equipment, classes, and stuff that the Lab has to offer, but I haven’t talked about what in my opinion is the most important thing about the Lab, and that’s the Creativity Lab as a creative space.
Housed way down in the Main Library’s lower level, visiting the Creativity Lab can feel like you’ve entered another place entirely. It’s a space where 3-D printers gently buzz while sewing machines thrum along their seams, and everyone knows that it’s OK to get a little sawdust or some vinyl scraps on the floor. Yes, there is plenty of mess in the Lab, but from that mess comes magic.
Open Labs occur on a regular schedule to accommodate makers who want to work on independent projects, and when makers are perched on chairs and stools throughout the room working on projects that vary from custom 3-D printer designs to robots to patchwork quilts, there is a silent hum of energy to the space. Even when you don’t know exactly what other makers are working on, there is a sense of excitement, a sense that something important is happening, a sense of wonder, and one of the terrific things about being surrounded by wonder is that it often inspires you in your own work.
The Creativity Lab gives you the space you need to focus and work independently, but at the same time there is a sense of creative community. Everyone there is inventive, imaginative, or visionary and when a group of people with those attributes comes to work side by side, it’s a powerful thing. These are people who make stuff happen, who bring their imaginings to life. These are all people like you, who come to the Lab looking for a space where they can lose track of time while they do something they love.
Sounds perfect, right? So, your task today is to stop reading this post, and go apply your butt to a chair. You’ll be amazed at what you can create when you give yourself the time, and find the right space, to let your mind run free.
If you want to learn more about Open Labs and their hours, check out the Creativity Lab’s calendar of events.