6 tips for energising your office
Art serves many purposes; in Feng Shui terms – it can bring positive energy to a blocked entry, enliven a dead space, add the colour needed to balance energy and generally makes us feel better. Art can also have investment potential or as part of a room decoration Art provides soul and character to a space.
Whatever it means to you the fact remains that it is possible for a print or photograph to move us, to have an emotional impact, to stir our senses.
I love ‘First Snow’. It has such a vibrancy of colours that I can feel the chill of the watery sun and the sharp breeze as the morning unfurls. I especially like how you told the story of the way you saw the photograph and came back next morning to find a dusting of snow to set it off. It makes me feel refreshed.”
Martin Haworth ACC, Business and Management Coach
Ultimately it is about creating an environment you enjoy working in.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Find a picture that really inspires you and place it so you can see it easily. You’ll know it when you find it because you could ‘get lost in the piece’ as it transports you back to a memorable moment in time. You can feel the wind and sun, as it was that day and smell the air.
- Clear your clutter – this gets stale energy moving again, and personally I always feel so much better for getting rid of the stuff I don’t need anymore, even if I do dread the task itself.
- Feng Shui experts reckon that introducing artwork depicting bodies of water, such as streams, lakes or the sea will boost career prospects. If you want to enhance your reputation then introduce artwork that depicts people or animals.
- If you are living with a piece of art that doesn’t appeal to you, then it will have the opposite effect. It may be a piece of art you bought when you were at a different stage of your life, and now you have moved on. Or it may represent the opposite of your goals.
- Think about your employees too. Having art in the workplace is also a way of encouraging creative thinking.
- A survey carried out by ICM and Art & Business found that 73% of employees wanted more art in the workplace, claiming it made them feel more ‘motivated’ and ‘inspired.’
Artwork doesn’t have to be expensive – if your budget is small then framing cards is an inexpensive way of brightening up blank walls.
Use art as part of the customer experience – having something to alleviate visual boredom helps to lower stress levels. Hence why many Doctor’s and Dentist’s have art in their rooms.
“I think my favourite image of yours is probably ‘Ben Nevis Water, Scotland’ or ‘Fishguard Bay at Sunrise’ as they both capture
imagination and reflect a thoughtful mood, allowing me time to think and contemplate.” Laura Straker, Student
So you’ve found a picture that grabs your attention and you’re wondering, should I buy it? Ask yourself:
Do you like it?
Do you think you’ll enjoy owning and looking at it?
Can you afford it?
If you’re answers are positive then buy it!
When we love the piece of art we are looking at, is when art can change the energy in any space. Choose well, and it’ll be your companion for many years.
February 23rd, 2006
