I start this meditation by thinking of special spaces. Memories of places visited during my various travels. There were basically four types of spaces which where, in the main, similar. Not the same physically. In fact, they were mostly very different. Especially in different cultures, but they were the same in spirit. I am referring to the various spaces of museums, libraries, art galleries and churches and their equivalent in different cultures - mosques and temples for instance. Anywhere in the world I came across these places the feel, or ambience, of them was aways the same.

Wondering why that was. For me, it seems that this was a result of the activity which continues to take place in these spaces. For instance, in an art gallery the audience is engaged in the activity of having a one on one with a work of art. There is a feeling of concentration and intensity. In a church, there is one on one with the divine, while in a library the audience has a one on one with a book or concept. All these activities have a quiet concentration in common and, over time, this behaviour became the norm in these spaces. And people seem to respect this. This, I feel, has an effect on our behaviour when we enter these spaces. Once you enter, you experience a feeling of reverence.

If I would feel the need to centre myself, in other words, to find my point of strength from which to deal with the world and its challenges, I would enter one of these three institutions. I would find a strengthening quiet, a stillness. In addition, a sense of the special and, at times, almost sacred.

When I arrived back home, I turned my shed into a studio. A place where I could be at one with the work, a place where I could centre my spirit. I remember, some 30 years ago, while building my studio, a visit from a friend. He wondered why I was putting so much effort into a place I was only going to work in. The reason, I explained, was the best time of the day was spent in that space. My "living" time. My "being" time. Besides the space stimulating the creative spirit, I also need the space to be quiet so I can think, feel and hear the message from the heart. The message which tells me into which direction to move, which path to follow.

Have you ever visited a space which, at once, gets your creative juices flowing, and how good that feels. So, why not feel like that in the workspace. I feel like that in my workplace. My studio. Additionally and very importantly, I only use the space for creative activity, so that, in time, it becomes a savings bank for positiveness. Each time I enter that space this aspect is stirred into action. Then, when my spirit is somewhat low, all I have to do is enter my studio, sit quietly with a cup of tea and experience the healing. A positive space has that power. A studio should.

It has always intrigued me why people should spend the best part of their day, and life, in the worst type of space. In careless space. The carelessness of most work places. Be it the factory floor, or a "behind the shop" space. While all sorts of energy seems to be spend to create a special atmosphere for the customers and clients, the workers' quarters leave a lot to be desired. A telling thing.

Email art@petrusspronk.com