The 4 Steps to Creating the Intentional Space of Your Dreams

I recently moved from New York to Arizona and I am beyond happy with my decision. Why? No more cold weather, a bigger house with plenty of room to create intentional spaces and  friendlier people. Should I go on? The point is I am extremely happy in my current state of mellow yellow. 

One of the first things I did after my move was create two intentional spaces in my home: my art studio and my home gym. How do you create an intentional space in your home? Here are four simple steps.

1. Set your intention. 

I don’t know how my husband and I fit all of our stuff and our pets in our old house. Now that we are in a bigger space, we realize that we desperately needed a bigger space to live how we wanted. Instead of living with boxes and storage, we were able to build a home gym and art studio. Before we even moved in, we set the intention to have these spaces in the house. If you set a clear intention for how you want to use the space — new or old — you can execute much more easily.  

2. Make room and get rid of the clutter.   

When people say they are “too busy” to do something they want, it is often an excuse. When people say they don’t have room in their home for an intentional space, that's also often an excuse. If you are like me and you need an intentional space to be creative, it is up to you to make room in your house. Maybe you need to trade in your overlarge sofa for something smaller and more efficient. Maybe you need to get rid of the pile of magazines you want to read to make room for a space you will use today, not “someday.” Making an intentional space means you take action to make it a reality for yourself.  

3. Buy what you need and realize it doesn't need to be 'perfect.'

When I was thinking about building my art studio, I wasn’t sure what I needed. I didn’t like the prices of what I saw on Amazon or Ikea. Guess who came to my rescue? Thanks to Walmart and eBay, I was able to have a simple desk, chair and storage space to give me the space I needed. If you haven’t moved forward with creating your intentional space because you don’t have what you need, get resourceful and find things that work within your budget. Don’t forget to check out your local thrift stores to look for what you need for your intentional space. 

4. Make time in your calendar to use the space. 

If you have made the commitment to create your intentional space, you owe it to yourself to use it. I want to create art or do something creative every day. Why? It is extremely calming, and it gives me immense joy. If you want to love your life, you must do what you love every day. Having a space to color, draw, paint or play with lanyard is what I needed. So, I put in my calendar to spend time doing art every day. 

Having an intentional space and using that space are two different things. Is there a point to not use the beautiful intentional space you have put time, money, and energy into creating? No. Stick to your calendar and use the space. Document the space and share it with your network. Post about it on social media and encourage others to invest in themselves by creating the intentional spaces they need in their lives.  

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Natasha Nurse started Dressing Room 8 to provide a web-based resource where women can gain personal and professional empowerment through her fashion and lifestyle focused blog. Dressing Room 8 helps women learn how to think with clarity, dress with confidence, and live with purpose. She is the Lifestyle Editor for Plus Model Magazine and she co-hosts a podcast with her husband called WokeNFree. Follow Natasha on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.