Writing Space

Melissa has issued a challenge asking all of us Inkettes to talk about our personal writing spaces. So here goes!

Months ago, I touched on writing spaces, but I was more focused on how to define solitude and ask house-members for privacy and consideration. I didn’t think about the space itself. The items I surround myself with. What I have as visual stimuli while I sit and type or jot. It’s important, I suppose. And not something I ever thought about until I started writing creatively for myself again.

Really, I didn’t open my eyes to my writing surroundings until April 2013 when I could actually see.

Believe me, I did not like what I saw. Stacks of loose papers, books, sticky notes, coupons, debris. Anything and everything was strewn on my desk, shoved to the sides in order to provide enough space for my computer and class notes. It was a pitiful disaster. One I rectified ASAP.

First, I moved the desk. I used to face a dark, textured wall adjacent to the main door of my room with my back to the window. Now I face a white, un-textured wall with the window slightly behind me and to the right. It was the best I could do to accommodate my bookshelves and dresser. Besides, with the books safely behind me I am far less distracted by their alluring spines.

My desk is still messier than I’d like it to be, but it’s organized chaos. A lot of it is writing related and memos because I am having a difficult time remembering things I don’t write down. I blame it on my artist brain and too much time spent out of reality.

Currently, I have three calendars hanging up in view. One has images of wildflowers, one has images of cats because it’s a Meow Foundation charity calendar, and the last is a generic one from my work that I scribble writing related things on. Around those I have two Van Gogh prints. And there’s a stained-glass flower that should be hanging in a garden.

Taped here and there are some fiscal charts, my work schedules, my list of story maxims, and my annual goals list.

At best, it’s an eclectic array that showcases exactly where my mind is at right now: everywhere and nowhere. It’s an attempt at a sheltered writing space just missing the mark. Not surprising since it’s really the only space I have.

Ideally, I would love to separate responsibilities from dreaming. I would love to have my own office dedicated to writing with walls covered in art and story notes. I would love to have a space I could sprawl in and not worry about needing to clear up when I have to perform a chore.

None of that is going to happen any time soon. I’m ok with it. Slowly my space is becoming what I want it to be and that’s all I can ask for.

What does your creative space say about you? Or do you even think about it?

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