When work feels like home

Navigating the tension between creativity + capacity + an offer for Clubhouse members

Two years ago, I wrote a piece for heiter magazine about how our workspaces can become our sanctuaries, places that support our sense of curiosity, creativity and connection. That article has just this week been republished on the heiter blog, and what follows is something of a companion reflection — an expansion in real time.

So much has shifted since I first wrote those words — I welcomed my youngest into the world after a high-risk pregnancy, slowly returned to work following maternity leave, and, after facing some ongoing health challenges, have been searching for spaciousness, all while running a business and raising a family.

In that piece, I wrote about tapping into our senses, spaces and stories to create a feeling of home within our work — and about tending to our businesses with care, in ways that feel true to who we are.

But how do those ideas hold up when life feels chaotic? What happens to our rituals when routines fall apart? What does creativity look like when capacity is limited?

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The tension between creativity + capacity

I have a desk at home. Well, theoretically, an entire workspace — but in reality, it houses all the things. So I’ve spent months working around the kitchen table, curled on the sofa or tucked away into borrowed corners.

Last year, I took on a dedicated studio. It’s far from styled to perfection, but it’s mine. And having a desk that’s free of crayons and clutter makes a real difference to the quality of my thinking, not to mention the clarity of my output.

We’ve been slowly layering the space with small touches: prints and plants, books that bolster. And I’ve noticed how my energy lifts when I enter the room. The care I’ve given to it seems to give something back — not just creative focus, but an artistic confidence I didn’t realise I’d been missing.

And I do miss it when I’m not there, which is quite often in this fast and full season of motherhood. Some days, it’s more convenient for our family if I stay home.

I don’t resent this. Not one bit. But it has shown me how vital it is to have spaces that nurture us. That bring us the comfort to do our creative work.

“We need a place where we can go to rest our hearts and awaken our spirits. Home is that place.”

– bell hooks

Sensory signals + creative cues

What I learned while writing about when work feels like home was that creativity doesn’t require grandeur — it thrives in presence. And presence, for me, begins with small sensory cues: coffee in a handmade mug, music creating a soft backdrop to my day, a candle that signals this is your time.

These rituals don’t guarantee flow, but they do help me land in the moment. They remind me that I matter. That my work matters. And in seasons of upheaval, these anchors become even more important. They’re not about productivity, but about protection, and creating a soft container for your ideas to arrive in.

One ritual I’ve returned to lately is making playlists. Not just filling my space with sound, but taking time to curate tracks that calm my mind and lift my mood. If you’re looking for something new to listen to this season, here’s a midsummer mixtape.

Reflections on the writing life

Just as sound shapes my creativity, so too does writing. Over the past few years, I’ve come to recognise the ebb and flow of my creative energy — and how my output shifts depending on what life is asking of me.

Since publishing that original piece in the “homecoming” issue of heiter magazine, my writing has taken many forms. Words have appeared in 91 Magazine, with recent blog posts exploring five ways to share your brand story and how to utilise seasonality within your business. I contributed to their latest print volume on the theme of “detail,” and have a fresh article forming around how we can weave surprise into our strategies.

I’ve also enjoyed writing a regular branding column for The Author Stack, which wraps up next month. And my mini zine, This Creative Life, launched in collaboration with a community of artists, creatives and writers. You can still buy a copy here or receive it as part of my annual membership.

Looking ahead, one of my hopes is to make more space for my inner writer, and release the guilt I’ve carried for not progressing with my memoir, which began in earnest in 2022. But life changed. A much-longed-for pregnancy brought with it a new season of motherhood, with all the messiness and magic that entails.

Lately, I’ve also felt the pull toward writing a branding book. An idea that feels almost within reach — the bones are there, the resources gathered — if not for the stop–start nature of parenting and “businessing”. One influences the other so fully and, at times, so frustratingly.

All of this is to say: our creative lives are rarely linear. And perhaps the truth of many side projects is that the finishing isn’t what matters — it’s the returning, the remembering. The end will come. We just need to stay connected to our inner artist. There’s resilience in that.

“As we journey toward self-actualization, the process of choosing is so important. We must learn to choose again and again the things that bring us joy, that nurture our spirit.”

– bell hooks

Returning to our creative lives

What I come back to again and again is choice. The choice to create. The choice to write. The choice to move forward with my vision, values and voice in mind.

Choice, of course, isn’t easy. But it does mean the work I do, when I can do it, feels more deeply connected to who I am. And that, I think, is what can make our work feel like home.

Whether you’re in a season of momentum or one of recovery or reflection, I hope these words meet you where you are and remind you that you’re not behind, you’re on your way.

In the context of your business, creativity or writing — what does home mean to you? I’d love to know and meet you in the comments.

I’d also love to welcome you into the fold — especially if you’re curious about how to craft a brand that feels like home.

1. Buy the Brand Seasons Playdeck — a thoughtfully designed collection of 48 prompts and practices to support you with strategy, styling and storytelling.

2. Join the Clubhouse — 25% off annual subscriptions for quarterly co-creation mornings, seasonal resources and voicenotes, and ask-me-anything threads. You’ll also receive a copy of This Creative Life.

3. Sign up for my Inside Story letters — a seasonal note from my studio with links to articles, books, podcasts, blogs, magazines and more.

A gift for Clubhouse members

All Brand Seasons Clubhouse members are being gifted a free 30-day subscription to the heiter magazine community right here on Substack — a soulful space full of seasonal inspiration.

Simply head to our member chat for the link and sign up for a monthly or annual membership. The first month is yours to enjoy and July is full of thoughtful offerings to explore — a lovely moment to settle in and make the most of it.