The Writer's Space
I'm sure you've heard the famous quote about needing a room of one's own. This is particularly true for women (sorry, guys). Here's my background, which may explain my feelings. As a child, I shared a room with my brother until I was 10. I remember being so excited about having my own room in our new house. I used to relish going in there and shutting the door. I would listen to music or read or talk on the phone, but reading was the best. I have always been able to lose myself in a book, but to do it in a room by oneself is freeing. When I read in public, I pull myself out of the book often to take a quick check of my surroundings, and I refuse to read a book that tugs at my emotions because I am afraid that others will see my reaction and think I'm odd. (OK - I know I'm odd - I just don't want everyone to know that!) Reading in my room was freeing. I loved that alone time, though I remember being told to open the door, to join the family. And I have been guilty of saying the exact same thing to my girls, though I catch myself and remind myself that they need that time to explore their own minds. When I was 18, I went to college and shared a small dorm room with a roommate. No privacy whatsoever. At the tender age of 20, I got married. No privacy. No room of my own. Everything had to be geared towards the couple, not me. I got divorced and remarried fairly quickly - again, I was a member of a family, and had no space of my own. Just recently, I have rediscovered the joy of having a space of my own. My oldest has now graduated high school and is out on her own. It's been 2 years since she spent the night here. So, we turned her old room into my space. It has been awesome. The room is a combination of my office and a crafting room for my scrapbooking hobby. I love spending a rainy afternoon in there, with Enya or AC/DC playing (I know - I'm odd) and a candle filling the room with a comforting scent. There are pictures of me at my book release party, and of the beach at Galveston, a Monet print, and a NANO poster. I will write or edit for a while, then scrap when I need a break or hit a tough spot in my writing. The room is all about me, and it is a decadent feeling.
Take a look at the space you have set aside for your passion. Make it yours. And if you do not have a space, create a spot. It may simply be a candle and a framed photograph on a table beside your favorite chair. But it should be a space where you feel creative and safe.
Take a look at the space you have set aside for your passion. Make it yours. And if you do not have a space, create a spot. It may simply be a candle and a framed photograph on a table beside your favorite chair. But it should be a space where you feel creative and safe.
Comments