The Space to Write
...even when space is limited
Write as You Are is currently free to subscribers. If you find this newsletter helpful, you can show your support by buying me a virtual cuppa, dropping me a like or sharing it with someone else who might also enjoy it. Thank you for being here.
A year ago yesterday, I closed the door of my Mexico City apartment for the last time and moved across the country to live by the coast (I can’t believe it has been a year already but I have decided to give up trying to understand time). What I upsized in nature — I live just a few blocks from the ocean, have iguana and woodpecker guardians living in the trees that line my patio and have a view over the ocean and mountains that makes my heart so very happy—I downsized in indoor space. I moved from a three-bedroom apartment, with an office and a guest bedroom, to a studio. It wasn’t an entirely deliberate downsizing, more a choice of location over space. And it definitely took me a while to adapt. I went from having separate spaces to work, sleep and chill to one combined space for all. Now, I must say, it is a spacious studio with a separate kitchen an outdoor patio and lovely high ceilings (and the view!), so I am very lucky and I don’t feel cramped, but when you work from home there is definitely a challenge to not let all things sort of bleed together. A challenge that I know many writers confront.
Something that has become more and more clear to me from this experience is that space is both physical and energetic. The energy with which you imbue and inhabit a space can change the feeling of it entirely, allowing one physical space to take on many forms. Let me explain…
I write and mentor from the same desk in the same corner of my main room. Initially, I found this challenging. In Mexico City I had a desk about three times the size of the one I have now and I luxuriated in space and could move around it depending on whether I was novel writing or writing articles. Now, I don’t have that luxury, however, in being more intentional with my space, I have found that my desk has started to shape-shift.
Fifteen minutes before a session with a client, I clear the desk of all things related to my own writing. I even clear off my personal talismans (things that make me happy to look at and inspire my playful creativity) leaving a few beautiful pieces of wood and sea glass I have found on my beach walks. I get a new glass of water, I light a candle and I cleanse the space and myself with Palo Santo (sustainably sourced). Then I place my mentoring notebook on the desk and really take some time to feel into the energy of the client I am going to see. I think about what we have discussed in previous sessions, where things are at, then I pull a tarot card with that client in mind and reflect on the card for a few moments. With that ritual complete, my desk becomes my mentoring desk, an entirely new space. It honestly doesn’t even feel like the same space that I write in.
At the end of the session, I re-cleanse the space, blow out the candle and return my own writing notebooks and talismans- the desk is once again for my own writing.
This ritual use of space give me such a sense of clarity that I feel allows me to be really present with my clients and really connected to my own writing projects. I believe that having to get creative with this smaller space has actually been a blessing, it has made me more intentional.
I share this because so many writers I know struggle with finding the right place to work. We are often juggling projects, trying to find space for our own writing, jumping between one type of writing (and writing personality) to another. If this is something that you struggle with, I hope that this share might inspire some ideas about how you can get intentional with your space to help your writing have a place to land.
How do you prepare your writing space? Do you have things on your wall that inspire you? Do you have pictures/post its related to a particular project? Do you ritualise your writing space? I would love to hear and tips any tricks that have helped you.
Meditations
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to feedback about the meditation I shared in the last newsletter. I was absolutely delighted that it was so helpful and that it led you into deeper connection with your characters. Here is what a couple of lovely people had to say:
“Thank you for this beautiful meditation. I found clarity and grew even closer to the person I’m writing about for a new project,” A.M
“The meditation was SO helpful in getting out of my own way. Don't worry about tense or POV or plot, just listen and see what the protagonist wants to say. I needed it badly!” Lindsey.
I will be sharing more meditations soon. Watch this space…
Recommendations
A couple of things I have enjoyed recently
Book: I recently read NW by the wonderful Zadie Smith. As always with her work, it is character driven rather than plot heavy, which allows you just to luxuriate in the language and observations about life. North West London is absolutely the most important character in this book, so if you love books with a real sense of place, this one is for you.
Article: Are you stuck on the ending for your book or story? This insightful share from Jami Attenberg might help.
Mentoring
Would you like to be supported and witnessed on your writing journey, guided back to your goals and dreams, reminded of the wonderful writer that lives within you on the days it feels tough? If so, please book in for a free discovery call to see if I might be the right mentor for you.
I love this tip so much, thank you. My space is busy and inspiring and full of creativity, but it also looks like that when I work on day job things, too, which makes it all lose its magic, quite frankly. I am going to try this out between tasks, which may even allow me to break my day up in a better way too, as I move from work to play.
it's been a whole year?! wow! what is time?!
ahh thank you for this journey. space is the place! ✨ really relate to setting the scene depending on the aspect. cards to pull are always at the ready, along with sequins, stones, a glittery marabou llama pen, a rubber stamp + ink, pots of pens and paintbrushes, drawings and words blu-tac'd (what's the verb please? 🥴) to the wall, Grace Jones the rubber plant and a stack of notebooks nearby. it's not the clear desk, clear mind version, rather the comforting niblets to give me dopamine jiggles, hehe.
ooh i love NW too (and lived in the area awhile many moons ago so felt like a homecoming) 💓