Flooding your workspace with bright lights and bold colors might not be producing the creative environment you expected after all. Two recent studies published in The Journal of Environmental Psychology found that a dark or dimly lit space actually elicits creativity by triggering a risky explorative processing style.
This is great news since I’ve always preferred a dark workspace. Countless times, co-workers have switched on the lights on my desk while discussing a project. I bet they would have refrained if they knew they were stifling my imagination.
The findings of these studies intrigued me. I set out on a mission to find out how famous authors preferred to work by scouring online photos. The results are mixed. Despite the time I invested in my search, I decided not to list which writers appear to work in dim light and which prefer brightness because the photos were most likely staged dark for drama or bright for quality.
Instead, I sifted my memory for images of fellow creatives I’ve met working at their desks. I can clearly picture low-wattage lamps illuminating the offices of some of the most innovative people I’ve met. One in particular draped a scarf over her lampshade to darken the room further.
Ultimately, I’m confident that not all people work better in the shadows. For some, it creates eye strain that can’t be overcome or feels downright depressing. But if you’ve never tried dimming the lights, I challenge you to test it out. It might just lead to your next big breakthrough.
Maybe this is why all my best ideas come to me after I’ve turned out the lights to try to fall asleep.
