Creating the “Dressing Room” For Your Writing Space

I am a writer.  Everyday I must don the creative spirit; provide a dressing room where words fit comfortably into the clothes of my imagination.  The space I design to bring my genius and insight into fruition must reflect my mood at the time.  Is it actually necessary to define a room, corner, or nook for writing?  Should a writer stay stagnant in time, always working in the same place day after day?  Personally, I am too fickle to pledge my allegiance to one particular writing station.

The first quoted sentence below advises to define a creative spot for yourself so you’ll be ready to write by simply stepping into it…  Instead of “stepping” however, I want to dance around my house and experience writing in multiple locations.  I might start out writing on the ceiling if I want an upside down view of life.  Maybe next I would step into the shower where I clean away the sins of bad writing and then reapply active verbs, descriptive, poetic language as I put on the makeup of sentence structure.  Of course the kitchen tantalizes with food for my soul so I feed the deeper, mysterious part of me.  Now anyone who reads my words can feast on the significance of their existence.

As you can see there are many dressing rooms where my writing space exists.  Maybe this is more your cup of tea.  We are encouraged as writers to find our unique “voice”, to stand out in the vast crowd of bards; so it only makes sense you find your unique spot where the muse feels comfortable entering your creative environment. Keep reading then make up your own mind how you want to create this space.

“So here are a few ways to define that creative space for yourself, so that you’ll be ready to write simply by stepping into it.

Define a room, corner, or nook for writing.

First take a walk through your house or apartment and look for a likely spot.  Do you have a spare room, an under-used corner, a bay window?  It doesn’t take much space to be a writer, thankfully, unlike other artists (try fitting a piano or an art studio into an unused corner of your average New York apartment).  Once you’ve chosen your space, respect it and take it seriously.  This is your Writing Space.  It is the temple of creativity.  Internet memes and other sources of distraction have no place here.

After the jump: how to set up your writing space.

Set up your space the way you’ve always wanted.

There’s no reason to do this halfway – you should design your writing space for maximum creativity, and be honest with yourself about what that means.  It might not mean making it the most comfortable place in the house, for example, if you’re prone to naps on a soft couch.  Make sure you’ve got computer space and a shelf for a few books, as well as bare desk space – I like to have a little extra desk space for doodling or notebook-writing.  I recommend setting up a desk in a way that enables you to look out a window and get a little inspiration from time to time that way.

Make sure your chair is comfortable but not too comfortable.  Set up your space with everything you need – books, computer, paper and pens – and nothing you don’t – gadgets, knickknacks to fiddle with, etc.

Set aside time every day just for being in your writing space.

Now that your writing space has been set up to satisfaction, it’s time to take it seriously.  Make a habit of coming to your writing space, sitting and looking out the window, flipping through books and thinking seriously about your writing.  Even if you’re running low on creativity, go into your space and do your best for as long as you can.  You’ll feel a little pleased with your efforts.  And gradually, the space will come to be a source of creative energy.  It’s amazing how context help push our minds in the right direction.  And assigning this special importance to your writing space will have another effect – it will assign value to the creative writing endeavor.  If you’re doubtful about the value of your own writing, this will help you define just how important it really is to you (and potentially to doubting relatives or friends).  So in conclusion, take yourself seriously by taking your writing seriously.”

I don’t think tapping into my creative place has to be a serious affair.  Respect doesn’t demand no laughing, no telling jokes, no kicking up one’s heels in delight; in fact I respect myself more when I write with a spirit of freedom.  My temple of creativity often reminds me that if I take myself too seriously, I might suffer writer’s block and constipate the productive flow.

Should we be honest about what “maximum creativity” means, so as a writer we don’t find excuses and a place to goof off?  I say, LIE to yourself about this because you’ll freak out and never write a sentence.  As for napping, a little siesta here and there can lead to dreams, which turn, into ideas for stories.  What’s bad about that?  Yes, looking out the window works for inspiration; but soon you decide that being outdoors beats writing, so you leave.  Remember to take a pen and writing tablet with you.

For some of you, all the suggestions above on how to define your writing space might be the exact information you need to get started.  But as for me, my creative spirit hates being limited.  Therefor I allow the place to write, brush up against my imagination and off I go typing the words to a story, screenplay, and poem.

There are too many choices how the creative spirit enters my soul:  I might be out walking, dancing, hearing a fantastic song, and an idea bursts through surprising me.  I seize the moment, write it down, and it morphs into a brilliant creation.  The value of my writing does not need a defined space, a specific time, and a serious attitude.  Tapping into my creative spirit is adventure where I never know where she might take me or when she might want to sing her words through my fingers.  I hear her chant in my ear, if you want to tap into the infinite wisdom of writing, the only space you need to feel comfortable in is your inner room.  I don’t argue.  She’s the boss.