Designing Spaces for Creative Flow
$250Everyone deserves to have a space that feels nourishing and supports their flow. But you don’t need to buy new pieces of furniture to make where you are feel new and refreshed. In this class, we’ll learn to transform the spaces around us with intention, guided by principles and traditions of arrangement and harmony.
Learning from the histories of Hygge, Lagom, Wabi Sabi, and Ikigai, you’ll discover concepts and methods that resonate with you, and learn to plan and design with Rhino 2D. In this process, you’ll be prompted to consider the integrity of your space, and what makes you feel the most present there.
Learn to see your space as a reflection of your state of mind. Just as energy can get stuck in our mind or body and cause sickness and stress, so with the spaces we spend time in. In this course, we’ll learn the concepts and tools to make the spaces we occupy reflect peace and harmony so we can thrive.
Requirements
No experience required! Come to class with a space(s) that you want to evaluate and change. We will hand sketch and put things into the computer and learn Rhino 2D.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn how to survey a space
- Learn Rhino 2D
- Learn about what you need to be in flow
- Spatial organization techniques
- Redesign and experiment with your own space
Syllabus
Week 1 – Space Audit
Learning how to survey a space. Learn how mapping helps us understand the user journey and experience. Unveil what spatial vectors are important for you.
Week 2 – Feng Shui/Flow Basics
Learning the principles of Feng Shui and flow. What puts you into flow state.
Week 3 – Keep, Toss, Create
Using the principles learned in the previous weeks, redesign your space. How do we tune our spaces to nurture our best selves? What might we introduce or create aspects that we are missing? What do we need to clear?
Week 4 – Spatial Redesign/Reorganization
Redesign your space and experiment with moving pieces and seeing how you feel with the changes. Are there larger projects you might want to undertake?
Week 5 – Reflections
Share your learnings from the class and reflect on the before and after states of your changes.
Testimonials
“Such amazing ideas. She is so encouraging and clearly so knowledgeable — an expert in the field! I was blown away by her experience and how she was able to make it all so accessible.”
“An intimate and welcoming space. Sharon was able to condense a lot of information into a digestible way!”
“I really enjoyed the structure of the course. The lecture portion was comprehensive in introducing us to architectural history and was a great way to learn about precedents in the discipline.”
Resources
Peace is every step by Thich Nhat Hanh
“We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with pace, joy and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”
The life changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo
”A dramatic reorganization of the home causes corresponding dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming…when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too…you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t..”
Feng Shui Modern by Cliff Tan
”Feng Shui is all about understanding and enhancing your environment, making it as optimal as possible for your own performance in the various aspects of your life. To make the most of your environment, you need to fully grasp it.”
The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo
”Teaism is founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mastery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life.”
Instructor Bio
Sharon SM Leung(she/her) is a trained architect, writer and educator based in Los Angeles. She has worked on projects in New York City, Toronto and LA. She helps people find their flow with her mindful design practice Be 水 Shui. Currently she is writing about her wellness journey and researching about Basement Workshop(Chinatown, NYC 1971-1986). You often will find her hiking.
Scholarship
Index scholarships are designed to benefit underrepresented groups, BIPOC members of our community, and those for whom the class price is not accessible. These need-based scholarships will go to the candidates who best demonstrate why they should be chosen for the free spot to our class based on the following criteria:
- Belong to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the graphic design and creative industries
- Do not have jobs that would pay for these courses as professional development
- Cannot independently afford the class at list price
- Share our value of intentional community
The number of selected applicants chosen is subject to the discretion of Index and the instructor, but every course will select at least one. Apply for a scholarship here. Applications close October 27th.
Refund Policy
We get that things come up, but we rely on headcounts in our programs to survive as a business. If you request a refund...
More than 4 weeks before class begins → 100% refund
More than 2 weeks before class begins → 50% refund
Fewer than 2 weeks before class begins → No refund
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