A Writing Place

It's been a long time since I had a dedicated space in which to write... one that I actually used to write in. I had an office at my last house, which I used for all of 3 months. I always wrote either on the deck off the dining room (when warm enough out) or in the dining room.

Finally after a year of needing my wifi to go from the side of the house with the internet box to the opposite side where I was actually working, I gave up on that office entirely and called the service provider to come out and rewire so that the box would be at a more useful location.

I had appointed the office well enough. It even had a filing cabinet and faced South into a garden with dozens of rose bushes and an overhanging set of plum trees, with Redwoods right across the street. But I just never wanted to be in that room. It felt oppressive to me.

Here's a photo I just took of my new office:

For some reason the denim blue in that rug comes out as black in the photo, and you probably can't tell that the wall with the window is about the same color as the chair, but I think the pic conveys the general feel of the space.

Why It Works This Time

The main difference I think is that I made this one more feminine. Instead of a high backed leather office chair with arms (which was ergonomically better for my neck and shoulders) I have this rose colored linen chair. Instead of a glass desk with a keyboard rack at a lower height, also ergonomically superior, I have a solid wood desk that's a writing desk, not a computer desk. And so on.

Eventually that bookshelf you see at the end of the room, which just arrived yesterday evening, will have stored items behind the door on the right and display items on the top and exposed left side. What few physical books I kept are on the shelves on the right side of the room, which were installed by a previous resident.

I love that the door to the bookcase slides instead of opening out. I'm designing my cottage for the new property these days and have decided to make closet and bathroom doors all slide. Why waste space for the sweep of a door that doesn't need to really secure anything, just create a visual barrier?

I've only had the desk a couple weeks, and the plants just this week, but so far I have been writing in this office each day, so I think this one is actually going to be my writing place.

The Power of Programming

That matters because I think the mind gets conditioned to shift into a certain mode when there is a dedicated space for an activity. That's one of the reasons I stopped writing or reading in bed. It was making my mind too active in the place I want to program myself for sleep. I no longer have insomnia, which plagued me in my youth, and I think a lot of it comes down to that one change.

I keep this basic idea in mind as I'm designing each room in my house, as well as the outdoor areas.

In the living room, I want to be conditioned for a relaxed state, but not hazy. So I've used mostly earth tones with splashes of color here and there. Also, I never take naps on the couch. I have a hammock outside for that, and also a chaise in what was supposed to be the dining area. I nap in either sometimes.

In the kitchen I want to be alert, so I've put two stools at the kitchen island's counter and put down no rugs in there. The experience is much more upright and hard surfaced.

The guest bedroom I'm in the process of turning into a multi-purpose oasis of relaxation. It is the one room that I'm planning to serve many purposes, because a visitor might want to treat it a something of a studio apartment.

There is a cool all natural materials rug, that has purple cotton woven in with leather and hemp. There is a daybed with a modern look to it. There are sheer curtains at the oversized windows and there will eventually be floor pillows around a low table, perhaps a round coffee table. That way when someone visits me they can spend as much time as they want in the privacy of their room, whether they are sleeping, eating, reading, etc. As an introvert, that's something I would appreciate when visiting someone. And as a host, just because a friend is visiting me, that doesn't make me feel like they should want to spend all their time with me.

Supporting the Writing Process

So this writing space of mine, what will it yield? What works will arise? Perhaps my fourth book? Or maybe just writing for Steemit, LOL. Whatever arises, I am confident that I have created the ideal environment for its emergence.

What is the space in which you tend to write like?

What is it about that space that supports your writing?

Do you have just one place, or do you tend to move around the house?

If you're on mobile doing your writing, I imagine you do it wherever you are when you happen to have the time to write. Or do you seek out the same place to write each time anyway?

What supports your writing process?

(Photo source: Pixabay)

Resteems always appreciated!