&. . .
In the back of the house, my office was a jumble of writing stuff, girl stuff, and stuff that I swear elves put in there while I was sleeping. This stuff included: a sewing machine, giant posters of my book covers from the days of bookstore signings, two sweaters my grandmother knitted, reams of paper in rainbow colors left over from my children’s grammar school/craft days (they are now 27 and 30 respectively), office supplies, pictures, the first dollar I ever made writing and, well, stuff.
We remodeled my ‘office’ because a pipe broke in the wall. If you have ever read When You Give a Mouse a Cookie you know what happened once we tore through that one wall. If you have never read When You Give a Mouse a Cookie, do so after you finish reading this.
The room now sports a large screen television and a new couch. My husband suggested that I move my office to a lovely small room in the front of the house (the better for him to nap in front of the television). It has bookshelves, a fireplace and lots of light. I love that room, but it is much smaller than my old office. It is the first room people see when they walk into my home. My new office would have to be neat and tidy at all times, and that meant I couldn’t take all that ‘stuff’ with me. I had to decide what was essential to my professional well-being. Surprisingly, there were only four things and they are also essential to the well-being of my heart and mind. They are. . .
1) The $200 dollar/$.25 plastic horse. I’m a sucker for carnival games. Years ago when I was in Las Vegas I stopped to play a carnival game in the casino of Circus Circus. To get a prize, all I had to do was bowl a ball into a big hole cut in to a ramp. $200 dollars later, I finally got a ball in a hole. The wrong hole, but a hole nonetheless. My prize was not a free weekend in the hotel, but a plastic horse that probably cost all of $.25 to manufacture. I keep this horse where I can see it to remind myself that nothing comes easy, everything has a price, and that hard work and luck are both part of the success formula. I also keep it to remind myself to keep my wallet in my purse when I go to Vegas.
2) My tiara. Early in my writing career – after leaving a well-paying corporate job – I was feeling quite low. The decision seemed to be ill-advised, I had two toddlers at home, and there were bills to pay. One day this tiara arrived in the mail. A friend sent it to me as a sign of her faith that I would one day be a publishing queen. Thirty years later, I’m not even sure I’m at the royal court. Still when I feel unsure of myself, I look at that tiara and it reminds me that there are people who believe in me. The least I can do is believe in myself.
3) My inspirational rock. I’m not really much for inspirational sayings, but when I saw this rock I had to have it. There it was, set in stone: a typo. I keep this rock on my desk as a reminder to always do my best work and be my best self. When mistakes are made, this rock reminds me that I can set them right. There really are few things that are set in stone.
4) My ampersand pillow: When I panic because I don’t think I can write another word, figure out a plot point, or come up with a solution to the mystery, I look at my ampersand for inspiration. I sit back and it says to me: “& then what happened?” & then I fill in the blank. When I talk on the phone that ampersand reminds me to ask the person on the other end of the line, “& how are you?” When the weekend comes, the ampersand on this pillow reminds me that there is plenty of time to rest, so I ask my family “& what should we do now?”
&, so, it is your turn. What are the four things in your office that keep you productive & purposeful & playful? Take a look around & you may be surprised at what you find.
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This article is copyright © Rebecca Forster
