The Creative Life

A few weeks ago I read a wonderful post by Jeff Goins. You can find the link to his post at the end of this article.

His post was about making physical,mental, and spiritual space for writing in your life. Judging from the comments (over 240 so far), he hit a chord that resounds with many of us. Making space is so necessary, even essential to the creative life, but the topic is rarely addressed.

So, inspired by his article, I got busy. I had already made some progress cleaning up my office, and finished that part, at least to the point of getting my desktop cleared off. I created a makeshift divider made up of (don’t laugh) a drying rack, some sheer curtains, and a TV tray, to combat the noise and traffic of the dining room, where my office is located. Those materials were the ones that I had handy, and it gives me a sense of privacy.

After I finished my work, I received an unexpected bonus – a sense of overwhelming peace. Perhaps making room for the physical space also freed up some much needed spiritual space. All I know is that my nice, comfortable office makes me happy. I confess that I don’t always use it, but it’s there when I need it.

I still struggle with creating mental space – with the idea that my writing is equally as important as housekeeping, cooking, or other people’s needs. Today I’m forcing myself to delay running errands so I can write, a tactic that I will need to employ frequently in the future. When I put my writing last, I get depressed. Communication through the written word is my creative outlet, my way of sharing with the outside world, my way of saying “hello!”

And so I write.

Jeff’s article:  http://goinswriter.com/creative-space/

My desk.

My divider.