“Inspiration”—it’s one of those words most of us are drawn to but can’t easily define.
Of course, if you look up the word in a dictionary or on the Internet, you will find definitions, but they might prompt more questions than answers.
For instance, is inspiration rooted internally or externally? Is it a pull or a push?
Can you impact inspiration, or only be open and wait for it?
And does inspiration work the same way for all of us, or is it an individualized experience?
Dictionaries don’t answer these questions, yet somehow when we encounter inspiration we know it—without a doubt. And the effects of being inspired seem mostly universal: Our minds start buzzing, energy levels spike, and time seems to stand still. We’re able to be more creative, more productive, and more focused.
In other words, the feeling is great, and so is the outcome. We’d all love to be under inspiration’s magic spell every day. So what can we do to get more of it?
An informal survey around the izzy+ office and on Twitter revealed two factors that seem to consistently impact how inspired we are: people and places. Our interactions with others, and the spaces we live, work and relax in, play important roles in how inspired we are.
Since all our interactions with others happen in spaces (and since we at izzy+ happen know a thing or two about spaces), it seems safe to boil it down to this truth: Our environments play an important role in inspiration.
Just think about the spaces you gravitated to as a child: A nook under the stairs, a window seat in an alcove, a fort in the branches of a tree. As adults, we might have a favorite table at a coffee shop, a chair on a porch, or a bar in the kitchen where everyone seems to gather at every party. Each favorite space may be somewhat unique to us, but the characteristics often overlap: People are drawn to spaces that are cozy, intriguing, out of the ordinary and fresh, yet familiar. We want alternatives to our typical office-and-desk settings.
“Even as adults, you still need a space to get away and change your point of view in,” says interior designer and izzy+ consultant, Allison Roon. “Different scenery and different people can inspire you, and help you stay engaged in whatever you’re doing.”
The recent article “Purpose: A Discussion on the Future of Office Design” also links creativity and inspiration directly to the design of spaces:
“Instead of seeking space to simply house workers, companies are now seeking spaces capable of serving and fostering communities of creative problem solvers.… In place of a generic working environment the new workforce is looking for spaces that are authentic and personal.”
Today’s workers and learners clearly want spaces that go beyond utilitarian purposes.
This year’s annual Valentine’s promotion at izzy+ is all about inspiration—finding and sharing more of it as a key way to be Better Together. And the new products we’re featuring, the Nemo Bar and Trellis, are all about creating spaces that inspire, much like the tree fort of our childhood did—spaces that are cozy, intriguing, out of the ordinary
and fresh, yet familiar.
“When I was a kid, we built a fort in a stand of big trees and kept expanding it,” says izzy+ founder and CEO, Chuck Saylor. “All the guys in the neighborhood hung out there—it was a gathering place.”
That favorite childhood space definitely played a role in inspiring the idea of the Nemo Trellis, Saylor says.
“Trellis gives you that sense of going outdoors while you’re indoors, this space within a space. And when you see it, in the midst of this sea of sameness, all of the sudden you’re attracted to it and your tendency is to immediately go and explore—and hopefully to be inspired.”
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What spaces inspire you? What design elements make spaces more inspiring? We love hearing what YOU think!
Be sure to visit our Valentine’s mini-site to hear more stories about what inspires izzy+ designers, to find out more about the Nemo Bar & Trellis, and to enter our Trellis design competition. There’s also information about registering to win gift cards or a giving-back adventure to Nicaragua.
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Great thought behind this product, and as designers, we should take the same approach to the built-environment as a whole. Instead of placing an inspiring object in an un-inspiring space (or “sea of sameness”) we should approach the spaces in which we live, work, think, + play in a way that encourages and allows the user to create, dream, imagine + become inspired!
Thank you Ashli, you’ve honestly inspired me. 🙂 At the very foundation, these ‘inspirational spaces’, promote a healthier ‘you’. The best part is, these spaces can be ANYWHERE…a quiet library, out with friends for lunch or even a favorite coffee ‘nook’ for some ‘head down’ time.