Over the last three posts we have explored the energy of clutter in your life, and why it does not support your creativity. Going from a messy house to an ascetic one takes time, however, and can feel overwhelming. Things get even more complicated when you life with a partner or family and they see no reason to change their buying habits. A great place to start making changes is your writing studio.
The size of the space you have to call your writer’s studio will vary tremendously, but one thing is not negotiable: every writer needs a space to call their own. Follow the steps outlined below to choose and clear yours.
Step One: Pick the spot. Where in your house can you place your “studio?” Do you have a guest room? Formal dining or living room that rarely gets used? Finished basement or attic? Is there room in your kitchen or living room for a small desk? Is there a closet you can convert into a small private space? A studio can be as simple as a comfortable chair next to a window, with a side table where you can place your coffee cup.
Step Two: Sit down in your chosen spot. Let’s pretend that you have chosen to put a small desk in your bedroom for your writing space. Sit down at the desk as if you were sitting there writing, and look around. What do you see?
Step Three: Move the mess. Where is the view messy? Where does it show your past, your desire to impress, your pack rat nature?Clear from the room all the clutter that you can see from your desk. (Clutter behind you is acceptable for now, as long as you can’t see it while you are writing.) This means moving everything but the essentials off the surfaces of the bedside tables. No piles of laundry or newspapers beside the bed. You get it.
Step Four: Make it beautiful. Keep looking. Where is the view beautiful? If you can see the bed, make it up. Consider adding a beautiful cushion, throw, or pillow sham to add beauty to the view of your bed. Place a green plant or fresh flowers in your line of sight. Open the shades and let the daylight in. Wash the windows.
Step Five: Release the past. Keep looking. What can you see that you don’t like, but someone told you to keep? Are there relics of past relationships? What strokes your ego? Move all of these things to another space in your house. When you are done, your studio should be beautiful, mostly empty, and free of the past. It should be a small space that feels light, airy, and floaty— no matter what the rest of the room or house is like.
Step Six: Breathe. Sit in your new space and just breathe. How does it feel? Hopefully, your studio feels like a tiny oasis of beauty and space, anchored in the present moment. Hopefully, it feels like now you can write!
Blessings on your path,
Alix
