A sense of place

[Written in 2019]

A space for creativity is everything. Developing an individual place to write encourages a space for inspiration and productivity, a place where you can develop and process thoughts with depth and completeness. As a writer, you should really have your own desk, where everything you might need is in reach; where you can always return for resources and motivation.

For me, my desk has a monitor (that I rarely use), a salt lamp to produce a warm glow, a typewriter, a few of my favorite books for inspiration, a Merriam-Webster Dictionary, my laptop, a framed photo of my fiancé and I (to remind me who my biggest supporter is), a little statue of St. Jude (to save my novel from being a desperate case), and my Manuscript Bullet Journal. The desk sits beside my largest bookcase, allowing me to feel surrounded by those who have gone before me to publish and create better worlds. And, it’s nice to look to my right and just see a wall of books. What a beautiful thing.

Truth be told, it’s not comfortable. My job requires that I sit at a desk for 8 hours, so after work, the couch or bed looks much more appealing than another desk. And the use of a laptop encourages mobility, right?

But I’ve noticed that reclining on the couch while writing seems to perpetuate laziness and a lack of concentration. Naturally, the couch is where I watch Hulu, play videogames, and nap, so it’s been marked in time as a place of relaxation, not productivity. It’s almost like the Ghost of Taking a Load Off now haunts the couch forever, cursing those who try to get anything done by making them sleepy. I’ve closed my laptop and ‘quit’ many more times on the couch than I have at the desk, so, truth is in the facts.

Just know that if you already have a desk, it’s important to keep it tidy so your thoughts don’t feel as cluttered. Utilize desk organizers, drawers, and a bulletin board. Everything that sits on your desk should be considered with great care; if it doesn’t inspire you or isn’t useful to the craft of writing, it doesn’t belong on your desk. And if you can help it, try not to share your desk with others or “borrow” someone else’s space. The purpose of this is that it is your sacred space, where you get to bless it with your words and craft. It should be a pleasant place to return to, a home for your writing.