Common wisdom is that retirees should consider downsizing and simplifying their lives. Unburden yourself from the possessions that require storage and display space, jettison the day job wardrobe, maybe get rid of that second vehicle that requires insurance and maintenance now that you don't have to commute.
Certainly there is some wisdom in that advice. Most of us have had to face the dismantling of a parent's estate, deciding what to do with all the things that accumulated over a lifetime, choosing what to keep and what to sell or give away, placing a value on each item.
But a creative may want to reconsider moving into a smaller dwelling.
There is a lot to be said for the luxury of enough room to actually create without restrictions, for space to store supplies and tools, for a place you can call your own and which you can dedicate to your own creative use. Enough space that your current project doesn't have to be packed away to make room for dinner, or homework, or laundry folding.
A space that is exclusively yours.
This was a fun place to sit and read, but it was a little cramped for use as an office. Still, it was a (temporary) place of my own. Thanks to Featherbed Railroad for a splendid visit a few years back!
This is not to say that you shouldn't consider a smaller dwelling. If you do beadwork, or make lace, or decorate cakes maybe your tools and materials don't take up a large amount of space. But if you love woodworking and want to create pieces of custom furniture perhaps a townhouse isn't for you. Keeping chickens is probably not compatible with a suburban development with strict covenants, and an expansive garden needs acreage, even if it's measured in fractions.
For me the single most important consideration when choosing to remain in our home of 20 years was whether it still fit the creative lifestyle we want to live. Is the space compatible with our choices?
See, our house is nearly 80 years old, and it hasn't had a lot of updating. The kitchen is marginal at best - it still has a 1940s single sink, little usable countertops, and minimal storage. We have a single bathroom which we updated several years ago; but still, one bathroom with almost no counter space.
Mid-construction with the new shop in the background. The converted garage is on the right and the house - really a post-war beach cottage - on the left. (And construction clutter everywhere!)
This house was built, I'm sure, as a vacation bungalow near the end of WWII (clue: the original plans show the area as Roosevelt-by-the-Sea), and while the structure is solid, it clearly wasn't built as a full-time family home. There simply isn't enough room for a growing post-war family.
Now the second bedroom is an office for our publishing company, and when we moved in we converted the garage to an office for my husband. I had a space in the attic-a large space, but unfinished-that was supposed to be turned into an office but it proved to be more complicated that we expected and the conversion stalled out. Eventually it proved to be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
When we started talking about retirement, about where we wanted to live for the rest of our lives (yes, that's a topic for another day), we did consider moving into a house that better suited our needs. Except Steve didn't want to give up that office space, and I don't blame him.
Still, there were things we wanted. Shop space was at the top of the list, and after doing some research we came to the conclusion that creating more space made far more sense than moving, for many reasons.
The biggest reason, the one that favors a long-time residence, is that we own this house. Not us and the bank, just us. If you've been in your house for a long period you may be near that point. At the very least you may have a very favorable mortgage rate and a low payment; a potent argument for staying put.
We ended up building a 400 square foot, two-story shop a few feet from our back door. In one corner we framed in a small room, installed plenty of electrical outlets and a large window, and I had a new office space. Steve has a large shop on the ground floor and storage on the upper floor.
We actually opted for more space, not less. But we were also able to get exactly what we needed and wanted.
When we designed the building we also planned for my office space to be set up to work as a recording studio for audio. We kept it small, insulated it heavily, and put in a solid door. Now, with the addition of wall hangings to deaden the sound, we can use our new audio room. The wall hangings are configured so they can be taken down and stored easily when not in use.
Instead of downsizing we actually chose to increase our space, and more importantly to create a space that fits our needs.
Your needs and wants may vary; you might want guest rooms, or a place with no yard work, or a formal dining room for dinner parties so you can indulge your creativity by cooking for friends and family.
But whatever you want to accommodate your creativity, now is the time to consider what will allow you to create as you wish. You can choose your best space and let your creative spirit flow.
And downsizing just might not be the answer.