(noun) - a thing that bears the weight of something; a source of encouragement or comfort
(verb) - hold up; give assistance to; enable to function or act; be capable of sustaining; suggest the truth of
Welcome, I'm so happy you're here! The theme for our first week is support and it is chosen intentionally to begin our series as it will be an umbrella for every day that follows.
In physical space, support generally refers to the structure of something, like a column holding up the floor plate above. Or perhaps a piece of mechanical equipment that supports a function like AC or heat exchange. Pretty self explanatory and easy to follow the trail.
But I would posit that there are other ways that your physical space can support you. It might not seem as linear of a connection, but it is there.
The decisions we make…from where we place items in our homes, what type of conditions we create for habits/routines, how we access things...all of these can be by design (aka spacemaking!). And if support is at the crux of it, well, the end result is a space that provides ease to your day-to-day instead of creating challenges or roadblocks.
When you begin to look at space as a partner in supporting your day-to-day, you can begin to see how things shift to more sustainable - and flexible - solutions.
Decisions become a little easier because if it isn't supportive, it doesn't get implemented. Exploration is embraced as a way to understand the pulse of what you need, even if it changes (and it will!). Speaking of change, it isn't feared because you know to get curious in order to get back to a place of support. Re-framing design this way allows you to personalize and customize spacemaking to your needs. In other words, it allows space to be supportive.
This is where I want to start our series, with this notion of supporting your day-to-day through the design of your spaces, whether they be physical (like a room or an apartment) or intangible (like your habits, rituals, personal connections).
Let’s get curious…
Do you have an area of your home or workspace that you don't use very often? Or maybe don't like very much? Or aren't sure what to do with it at all?!
Do you have habits that you want to create or be more consistent with? Dreams that keep getting derailed? Projects that continuously start/stop??
When I find myself not using a part of the very precious 350 sqft in my apartment or stumbling on the way to building a habit/routine, I get curious as to why. Perhaps it's because my life goals have shifted a bit and I'm not reflecting that in my space. Perhaps it's because I've outgrown the previous supportive environment and need to expand. Perhaps I'm not providing ease for habit/routine building to take hold. Let me give you a few examples...
The photo above is the main room of my studio apartment. Small spaces, like boats, must function efficiently and each area must do triple duty in most cases. So to say that this space is designed to support me is, well, an understatement. (Keep in mind, dear friend, that I am also a nerd about creating spaces and have been for, well, forever.)
Let me walk you through three intentional moves I made to support my life. Some where made immediately and have not changed. Others have developed over time. Each began with the driving intention for support.
Gathering friends: The bed was placed strategically as soon as I moved in to allow for a living area at the front near the entry (I am standing in the entry vestibule). I value having a place to gather people as connecting with others supports my spirit and it was important for me to have that potential, even in this small space. If I wanted to really prioritize gathering, I would invest in a murphy bed system so I could convert this entire room into a more public space - maybe that will shift in the future. But for the moment, I have no qualms about the realities of the public/private blend in a studio apartment - this is Brooklyn after all!
(Bonus: this bed placement also supports me with protective energy by giving me full view of the door while still providing a "barrier" between me and any intruder or any negative energy. This is a strategy borrowed from feng shui, a traditional practice originating in ancient China.)
Reducing stress/barriers: You may notice the bike storage pole on the left - this allows me to keep my bike safe and dry while not taking up valuable floor space. There is no option for me to store my bicycle outside and I became tired of moving it around the apartment during the day. If the bike was sitting in front of my piano, it would be a barrier to playing that day. In my mind, something needed to shift. Having this elevated "home" for my bike removes the stress of figuring out where it will go, gives me zero excuses for other activities in the home, and allows me to be mobile at the blink of an eye.
Desire to expand into my dreams: Lastly, in the back left you will see a closet with a small desk inside it. When I first moved in, I used it as a clothes closet. That didn't feel quite right and I switched it be a creative storage closet (for architectural samples, project docs, etc). That wasn't utilized in the way I was hoping and felt stagnant - I rarely went over there and didn't use it for anything but object keeping. So I shifted it again, this time to a supportive space for focused work/recording/etc. I love that this space is visible and ready to support my long-term life vision keeping me tethered to my dreams. It is a daily reminder to keep going, even if I'm not fully there yet. It also serves as a kid-nook when my niece comes to visit...a 10-year-old sized space for reading, drawing, being quiet, etc.
My relationship to space is deeply ingrained in how I see and move through the world. I play with it, rely on it for support, and create it for others to make their lives better.
My hope for the 12 Weeks of Spacemaking is that it gets you thinking about space in a new way...and maybe even inspires you to play, rely on, and create as well.
Each week during our time together, you will receive a PDF worksheet with prompts to help you design support into your physical (and non-physical) spaces. Perhaps a few will resonate so you feel seen and not alone in the world. Maybe others will inspire you to shift your space(s). Hopefully all will expand how you see and create space a little bit, both in your personal home, connections to yourself and loved ones, and out in the world.
Now that you've heard and seen examples of how space can be a partner in supporting your day-to-day and even your future dreams, it's your turn!
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What does support mean to you? Is it primarily physical or intangible? When is it both?
where does support begin for you (in physical or intangible space)?
Name the ways (1) you support yourself, (2) others support you, (3) your space supports you. How does support look/feel/sound in your life right now?
When do you accept/ask for support and when do you resist it? Observe as you go about your day.
In what ways, physical and intangible, can you make space for more support in your life? (This could mean a shift in your physical space, an ask for help, or getting curious about providing your own support.)
This wraps Week 1...thank you for taking time to explore spacemaking from a place of support!
If you feel inspired to share any takeaways, examples in your own home, or questions that came up for you, please access Spatial Medium on LinkedIn or Instagram. Please be sure to add #12weeksofspacemaking and tag @spatialmedium so I can see what you post!