Creating a Sacred, Focused Writing Space: 3 Elements to Keep You Comfy and Concentrated
You are a creator. It is soooo important to set up the right conditions for you to do your best work.
If you are desiring to create a writing rhythm, or even a writing starting point, environment matters. It’s very difficult to write when you are being constantly distracted – or even have the threat of distraction looming over you. Here are some simple tips to keep you comfy and concentrated.
1) Reduce interruptions by claiming your sacred time and space
Writing is a sacred art. You need to be quiet to hear your inner thoughts, to let the words stream through you. You don’t need others’ words streaming at you. If you write from home or in a shared space of some sort, let others know you will be Unavailable (capital “U”) for X Time. If you need headphones or earbuds to block out sound, use them. Close the door. Leave your phone outside the door or put it in a specially designated box near you with the sound turned off.
2) Keep Your Body Happy
If you are a sensitive creative, you will be more attuned to the slightest changes in temperature, hunger, thirst, light, and need for movement or stillness. Give your body what it needs. Have healthy snacks at the ready, munch as you go, drink lots and lots of water, pee when you need to (and then come right back!) and take care of your temperature needs by having layers of clothing, blankets, a space heater if it’s cold, or breezy clothing, an open window or gentle fan if it’s hot. Adjust lighting to suit you – do you create best in dim lighting or brighter light? To those who say “sit down and don’t get up until you’ve written x words” I say Ha! No way. I am munching, slurping, getting up to stretch and pee, because if I don’t, I will be so focused on needing that that becomes more of a distraction than it ever needs to become. Your body is a vessel through which your creation comes. Take care of it and treasure it.
3) A Tidy Space Is A (Tidier?) Mind
If you’re anything like me, you have a million ideas running through your head at any given time. This used to look like [insert clutter pile here, and here, and here…] all over my working space. No wonder I couldn’t think! I thought I needed to have all the projects I was working on simultaneously out there and available to see – out of sight, out of mind, right? – but that actually isn’t what helps me. What helps is having containers for each project, be it folders or labeled boxes, and then clearing and tidying my working space at the end of the day so that when I arrive the next day it’s like ahhhh and I get the materials I need for the day instead of ughhhh and I spend the time paralyzed looking around and then go to the kitchen to get a snack and somehow end up playing games on my phone for two hours. You know. I mean. Anywaaay…
You are a writer. You are a creator. It is soooo important to set up the right conditions for you to do your best work. You wouldn’t ask a chef to prepare a gorgeous meal with a dull knife. That would unnecessarily frustrate her, make it harder work than it needs to be, and reduce the glisten of the finished product. Make it easy on yourself. Set yourself up for creative success – create a sacred space for your soul to do her work.
And then she’ll deliver 🙂
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