In the swirling vortex of modern work, a new and peculiar phenomenon has emerged — the pinnacle of pooled prowess — coworking spaces. Where motives and missions combine in one kaleidoscopic collision of minds, the atmosphere tingles with the harmonious hum of laptops, and the faint scent of ambition and innovation linger in the air.
These spaces are where the fresh thinkers gather, freely swapping out the solitude of a home office for a symphony of keystrokes, symbiosis, and skill-sharing.
Make no mistakes, these havens of collaboration and creativity are not your Grandad’s office. Gone are the sterile walls and stained whiteboards. They have been replaced by colour and creativity. The offices of yesteryear are being slowly replaced by hives of shared mindsets, ideas, and goals.
For this swirling maelstrom to reach its maximum potential, the importance of creativity and art in the coworking space itself cannot be understated. Coworking is a vessel, a breeding ground for the dreamers and disruptors in all-manner of industries.
Without an artistic and creative environment, these people won’t have the environment to truly thrive. Only with every element can the shackles of corporate conformity be shattered. Only with the full gamut of uniqueness and non-conformity can inspiration spread through the air like a drug.
However, in this cosmopolitan den of curios and art, the only thing to get addicted to is innovation.
The presence of ingenuity, imagination, and art in coworking spaces is vital if you want to truly unlock your full potential, the potential of your team, and that of the business.
Why Office Spaces Should Embrace Art
As mentioned, the future of working isn’t entirely focused on just cramming endless waves of people into a space. The best orchestra isn’t just the most people a conductor can get into a room together while playing instruments. A great orchestra is all about getting the top talents together and inspiring them to maximise their collective potential.
In this notion, it’s vital now that considerations are made as to exactly how working spaces make the people inside them feel. Does the environment inspire the people within?
While the concept was initially rooted in bringing people together to work in close proximity, it has evolved significantly in the years that followed. Nowadays, coworking spaces are not just places to sit at a desk and tap away at a keyboard. They’re communities designed from the ground up to inspire, challenge, and elevate.
As an evolution of this spirit, many coworking spaces are looking to new ways to galvanise their communities. To this end, some coworking spaces are looking to embrace art, and make an enthusiasm for aesthetics an integral part of their identity. After all, these spots are as much for artists, photographers, and designers as they are for marketing executives and accountants — so why wouldn’t you make a space that suits all?
An area designated for work doesn’t need to simply be four walls and a couple of potted plants. It should be an explosion of dynamic colour that inspires and encourages people to think outside of the box. They don’t need to just stop at places for people to work and call it a day.
If you feel that your environment isn’t conducive to allow you to truly flourish, consider joining a coworking space. It could just be the ideal canvas that allows you to bring groundbreaking ideas to life.
How the Environment and Art of Coworking Spaces Inspire
When you think of the word ‘art’ your mind likely goes straight to visions of paint, the written word, theatre, music, cinema, etc. However, art doesn’t have to be confined exclusively to the canvas, the state, or the screen. Art exists all around us. It is the very fabric that brings places like Use.Space together.
The hum of conversation, the tipper tapper of keyboards, the hushed tone of detailed brainstorming — all come together as strokes towards a larger, abstract masterpiece being formed.
The web developer initiating a conversation with the graphic designer at the coffee machine can be the spark that brings a project to life, perfectly blending practicality and aesthetics into one picture of digital delights.
The writer preparing lunch can find themself exchanging tales and before they know it, they’re birthing new and exciting ideas that can breathe new life into a campaign.
Art in coworking doesn’t have to just be about what’s on the walls, it can also be about what’s in the air.
When you see art, you should react in some way. When you walk through the halls of Use.Space, whether it’s glancing over at an Indian god on a plinth between two offices, or your eyes are drawn to our life size rhinoceros, something will be happening in your brain.
The entire space plays its role in inspiring everybody milling about. The walls are adorned with a cacophony of art, prints, posters, all telling stories of artists, people who have ventured into the creative abyss and returned with treasures.
How Does Art Affect You at Work?
Diving headfirst into the world of art can have a huge, profound impact on the human brain. It influences our emotions, cognition, physical responses, hell it has a literal physical response. It can make dopamine and endorphins pop off inside your head like fireworks as the brain’s reward system goes into overdrive dishing out small doses of pleasure.
Looking up at a piece of art that really clicks can have the synapses of your brain whirring and feeling like you’re the big winner at biochemical bingo.
When you stare at a piece of art, your neural pathways are able to flex their cognitive muscles like over tanned professional wrestlers showing off with enough exaggeration that the cheap seats can see every bulging taunt.
And we should never forget the impact art can have on you going forwards. Neuroplasticity in the brain ensures that you’re constantly adapting and evolving. Enough exposure to art will create new neural connections that expand your horizons and help you to further unlock your true potential.
What Impact Can it Have in the Workplace?
The hunt for productivity in the workplace can be difficult. It can be an elusive beast, something that, at the drop of a hat, can transform from nagging tormentor to willing companion. A creative workspace should act as a conduit for ideas.
Architecture is one thing, but true art is another beast entirely. When you’re strapped into the corporate lazy river, drifting through the 9-5 grind, it can feel like a straightjacket to your creative and critical thinking skills.
The effect exposure to art has on a practical day-to-day work life includes:
Revolutionise your Productivity
As highlighted above, art acts as a shot of espresso, a can of energy drink for your brain. Studies have shown that a creative setting can boost your productivity.
Studies conducted by Dr Craig Knight and Identity Realisation at the University of Exeter indicate that there is a clear and tangible link between art and staff productivity.
Boost Your Mood
No longer stuck inside glum prison cells of undercooked interiors. Today’s ideal office space should be a haven of positivity. The right piece of art can transport you to a different time and place. It can act as a mental vacation that boosts your mood and lets you escape.
At Use.Space, we’ve made a conscious effort to splash notes of bright yellow around the entire building. This mood-boosting colour has positive associations with happiness, originality, enthusiasm, hope, and creativity.
Break the Ice
Art can act as the ideal icebreaker. It can help you to share your ideas and connect with colleagues and peers on a whole different level.
Seeing eye to eye with another person in your office, sharing ideas, and connecting, doesn’t need to be difficult. With an art-infused atmosphere, it becomes that bit easier.
Where Productivity and Innovation Meet Creativity and Art: Coworking Spaces at Use.Space
Can you hear the call of coworking yet? Our creative space is a temple to the spirit of innovation and collaboration. At Use.Space, the aim has always been to blur the lines between work and play as much as possible. Here, the walls tell a story designed to encourage you to create and think outside the box.
However, a creative space doesn’t need to be exclusively reserved for bohemian artist types. Here at Use.Space, we are a unique and diverse community that brings together people of all backgrounds. From innovative multi-platform theatre production companies to genderless jewellery/apparel, and much much more besides.
Our space is full to the brim with new-age thinkers, people who adapt and overcome challenges and benefit the world. Where else would you rub shoulders at lunchtime with comedians cracking a joke, chefs creating glorious plates of food that promise to seduce the senses, and a literal fine fine artist whose work has been showcased in the National Football Museum, on Sky’s Portrait Artist of the Year, on the BBC, and beyond?
However, our space isn’t just about the arts. Creative solutions and methods are still creative, after all. There are artists in all walks of life and in a wide variety of industries.
We are always evolving and exploring fresh approaches to adjust our offerings, as well as foster and ignite our community’s enthusiasm. We organise regular activities crafted to spark creativity and critical thinking, as well as help our members in any way we can. From art exhibitions to live performances, cultural events to discussions on current hot topics — infuse artistry, creativity, and culture into your day and find inspiration at Use.Space.