Setting up the Perfect Writing Atmosphere (includes free inspo printables!)
I long for the ability to sit and think and write in a trendy coffee shop around other intellectual creatives. Once in a while, I will test myself and venture out of my home (pre pandemic) to work for an hour or two at my neighborhood Starbucks or Barnes & Noble. When I get there, I have the most pure intentions of focusing and gliding through dozens and dozens of pages of an editing project or even stringing together thousands of words for my own writing projects.
However, this never happens.
I end up getting caught up eavesdropping on the ladies in the leather chairs next to me or jumping every time the espresso machine bursts steam.
A lot of creatives, especially literary creatives, do love their solitude, so I hope I am not alone. Even if I am alone, I am pretty sure everyone reading this has had to find ways to think and work creatively in their homes, considering we are basically stuck there for the foreseeable future.
Lucky for you, I have perfected creating my perfect creative writing space long ago, and I thought many of you could spruce up your lairs and routines to get those creative juices flowing again, even if you can’t smell those luscious macchiatos in the process.
Scent
I don’t know why, but this gets me every time. I remember the first time I connected scent with my creative process. It was during an introductory speech course (shivers) in my first year of undergrad. Our professor had asked students if they had any tricks for preparing/practicing our presentations, and one student raised her hand and shared that she used the same scented lotion every time she studied or practiced, and the sensory queue put her mind in a place that allowed that coveted flow state. Her mind immediately snaps into hyperfocus, and she was able to get. shit. done.
I don’t think I have given a legit speech since that course, but I did take this little gem with me on my road into publishing and my freelance career. Certain scents just set me and my space up for the perfect blend of creative freedom and productivity. Usually, I light one of my favorite candles or plug in a Wallflower. This is an incredibly easy/fast way to make your space more conducive to your creative power.
Here are a few of my favorite scented candles:
You guys see a pattern? ;)
Light
Sometimes when I scroll Instagram, I see young writers in what appears to be dungeons (but what must be basements) writing their little hearts out. God bless them. Although I love the commitment, I wish I could bring them up to the surface (literally), and shed some actual light on their work spaces. Working in darkness is not a great idea for many reasons, one being your eye health. Aside from that obvious takeaway, being in lighted spaces—especially naturally lighted spaces—awakens parts of you and your psyche you might not normally be in touch with.
I live in Chicago, a place not known for its great weather outside of June through September (if we’re lucky). I think of that first day when it seems like spring is finally approaching, when I get outside for the first time in a long while and the air doesn’t hurt my face and I can lift my face toward the sun. That feeling always inspires me. Although I can’t recreate that first mild day of the year whenever I want, I can open my curtains and windows once in a while and let Mother Earth’s abundance wash over me while sitting in my (well-lit) office. Okay. I’ll stop with the woo-woo, but really, getting some sunshine and sporadic fresh air while working creatively will do you wonders.
Plants
Going along the same lines as natural light and sunshine is having some kind of plant or greenery in your space. Honestly, this just raises the vibrations of your space and yourself. Although they are technically dying, I love fresh cut flowers on my desk—whenever I am hitting a wall or working through a moment of frustration, looking over at something beautiful I arranged for myself to enjoy brings me back into the moment, appreciating small details, which is so much of what good writing is all about. I won’t pretend I have a green thumb, but I do also have a smattering of succulents arranged around my writing space, which are a much heartier plant than everything else I have tried to keep alive indoors.
Here are some succulent packs I have purchased from Amazon that come in several sizes. These are much harder to kill! (I promise!)
Creative Mentors
What I wouldn’t give to have JK Rowling or Glennon Doyle sitting in one of my office reading chairs with a cup of tea, sharing all of their writing genius with me. Maybe someday this will happen after I plop it on my vision board, but in terms of my daily creative process, I need a way to connect with creative people and projects I admire while sitting in my own home. Whenever I am deeply moved by a new creative piece—whether it be a new book I am reading or an illustration I found online—I try to find ways to keep those elements around me while I’m working. Absorbing others’ creative works inspires me to produce my best work. I stack beautiful books up at the end of my desk. I print out art prints by talented illustrators that align with what I am trying to describe in what I am writing. I play music that raises my vibrations. By surrounding ourselves with talented artists, we elevate our own projects and talents. I even create my own stylized quotes by artists I admire. I’ve made these available as free downloads if you’d like to print them and post them around your writing space!
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I would love to hear if any of these tips helped you spruce up your creative working spaces, or if you have any new ideas I can incorporate into my own space!
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