I was just wondering... what DOES your space that you write in look like. Apparently your workspace gives insight into the way you think ( I'd like to disagree). In any case I was curious where are you all when you write your masterpiece.

I'll go first: My study is well a bit on the messy side. For all you mothers out there be warned this could be scary. The study is the only room in the house that doesn't really ever get cleaned up. You can see the carpet, between the door and the computer, I don't know about the rest of the room, it's been awhile. Next to the computer is the microscope, followed by the dissection kit. The printer sits on my stethoscope and the desk is just as messy as the floor. The walls and computer are covered with post-it notes and posters (of wizards ofcourse). The computer is all on the desk. On side in the flow chart of story number one. screen is covered with sticky page markers, more post-it notes - some from first year uni, feathers, hairclips, paperclips, dead flowers and optus ads. Study notes, textbooks and lecture notes are on the desk, on the floor and in the bookcase...between the piles of notes there are random sheets of There's a piano and a violin in here somewhere too.

Whoa, Helen, scary! They say a tidy house means a boring mind, so you must be fascinating.

Not that my space is much better at the moment. I might actually take a photo of it and put it on the website. It's unbelievably messy because I've been working 12 - 18 hour days getting the editing done, so post-it notes overflowing out of the bin and file cards everywhere. The dining table behind me is also half-covered in editing paraphernalia. It's ugly folks. But normally I try to be tidy so I don't lose anything. I hate finding notes after the fact and thinking 'God, I forgot to put that in'.

I love a messy workspace. Stuff everywhere - yay! A tidy desk makes me anxious. My work space back in Brissy was an ante room in the corner of the house (second storey) with windows all around looking over the street. Lots of trees and hills in view and I loved it. Now in Melbourne everything's kind of makeshift because we came here not knowing how long we'll stay. So now I have my laptop (wedding pressie from my darling hubby - isn't he clever and understanding) and printer on a desk facing a wall! Boxes of story ideas and the like at my feet with as many different colours of A4 as possible. (I am on officeworks addict) A pile of CDs to listen to on headphones - Gerswhin, Moulin Rouge, Miss Saigon, Robbie Williams. I love writing with music up loud - at least it distracts me from Foxtel. My mobile phone, a fishtank with a couple of Gold Fish (Gerry & Ray Nium), my Little Mermaid mouse pad, cold coffee and very often a block of cadbury chocolate. Surrounded by these staples one would never need to leave!!!

Well up until recently I worked where ever I could find a quiet spot, so it varied from moment to moment. That is one reason I got a laptop.

But now I have a place of my very own in the front lounge room. It looks out onto the street, which is not very inspirational, but to sort of counteract the mundane view I have placed an assortment of candles, crystals and objects that make me feel happy inside. The dictionary, thesaurus, a book on celtic wisdom and another on Shamanism sit to the right of my laptop... right where I can grab them. All my fantasy books sit on their shelves behind me. On the top of the bookshelves are crystals, dragon and wizard ornaments and a few other mystical bips and bops.

Most of the time when I am writing the desk top resembles a paper recycling centre - paper and books with scribbles scattered all around me. At the moment it is all neat and orderly. I think that is because I have a nook of my own and I keep going in to fiddle about and rearrange things. Give me time and it will be an organised chaotic jumble.

deb

Well, my 'bit of space' is my bed room. A desk which until recently (until i started uni work) was used as a dumping ground... But i have a book shelf hatch made by my brother and me which has most of my fantasy books and the usual horse related texts. Books are everywhere in my room, thats for sure.... The lap top, which i hate to say isnt actually mine, but my mothers work pc (not in use there as they have better one) so she bored it for me... (shes the boss!!!) But sometime is sit n my bed and lean against the wall to type of spread out the notes i have. My walls are decorated with horse photos and posters of Tigers and whales and more recently a large LotRings poster....
I so wish for my own house and my own study...but i have to wait until im atleast graduated or married for that one.... somehow i think graduating will come first... lol.

So much for my favorite candle that I placed on my desk. I came in to find my kitten, Jess, happily chewing the top of it off! LOL! It looks a bit sad now.

deb

Hey helen and everyone,my space is my room if I'm using a laptop or on the front verandah watching the sun set over or behind the gateway bridge!!! or otherwise wherever I feel comfortable!!!Not very interesting really,but it does for now!!!!!

Jamie, it's what's happening inside your mind that's the interesting bit, not the view. But I must admit a relaxing view does put me in the right frame of mind to write - or at least it minimises distractions.

And Deb, those chewed up candles will have to come out some time. I hope they weren't a weird colour. A girlfriend of mine had a heart-attack when her toddler filled his nappy with blue poo. Then she found a packet of chalk with the blue sticks missing! She was relieved and grossed out all at the same time!

It was a nice navy blue candle Louise...can't wait to see what little surprises will be waiting for me in the kitty litter tray!!!

Deb, I think that will be need-to-know information when it happens. Don't feel obliged to inform us, okay?

Ok, I'm finally going to contribute to this thread as I now have a "space" setup on the desk in Craig's room. I don't really want to change anything since it's his room, and the rest of the family go in to use the computer to access the net, but I might add a few candles, and something purple to create a cosy mood. Perhaps an oil burner too. And I really need a new chair - his good one is in the flat. Perhaps another bribe - when I reach 10,000 words, I can go and buy some goodies. Fi

Well my neat new desk is slowly beginning to take on the appearance of an office after a cyclone! Paper everywhere!!! HEEEE! Productivity has its sacrifices.
I have these little yellow post-it notes stuck all over the wallunit flanking my desk. They are curling up like old leaves and some of them flutter down and get stuck behind the desk when I open the window, but that's ok. I just grovel around on my hands and knees every so often gathering them back up again.
Cannot lose my ideas to a minor annoyance like a stiff breeze now can I!!!

deb


deb

I have no space!!!!! Well, not entirely true. I am begrudgingly allowed the use of "our" (and I use this term loosely) PC in "our" study. My husband has the study set up like some sort of shrine to the consumate techno-nerd. When he is home the study is home to:

1 x husband (the techno-nerd)
1 x lap top
1 x PC
1 x land line
1 x mobile
2 x printers (1 laser, 1 colour)
1 x scanner
1 x web cam

When he is not home, only the top two are not present. The space is cluttered with bits of paper with extremely important stuff on them, (it may look like rubbish but it is actually a matter of national security), cords, cables, leads, discs, cd's, folders, books, toys and balloons. None of it (apparently) is mine!!!! However, when the cat's away - the space is tidied (nothing is thrown away though) and a thermo mug for my coffee and some good music take over the space.

Now Alia, the 7yo, has her own desk in her room with her very own PC, all linked in to the home network. It has a TV card in it so that she can watch TV, DVD's or video's from the comfort of her own bed. Aislinn, the 4yo has her PC at her own desk in the family room. They both have internet access, so when hubby is home - I can generally be found in the dinky chair in front of Aislinn's PC. It has a very child friendly WINDOWS set-up - not real adult friendly though.

I think that it would be nice to have my own space! So I think I will be putting a desk and a new network connection in the spare room. All my books are in there already, so it just needs a comfy chair (for the mouse)and a rug for the cat to sit on!!!!

Deb, it is hard to be productive and keep the flow going while managing a decent filing system for ideas. If post it notes work for you, go for it! If you get sick of them you can always transfer the info to something else at a later date.

Karen, I can't believe your four year old has a computer and you don't! Why is it that as mothers we always organise things so our needs come last. Sigh... I do it all the time. But not with my job, thank god.

You tell your techno husband that you want your own computer pronto. And please do set up your own space. There's nothing like having your own little world around your computer to inspire creativity, whether you want to write or simply explore the world of the internet.

Mothers count too.

Let's make that our motto of the day.

I had a dream last night that there were yellow post-it notes everywhere..... it was rather scary when you think about it. Had to hide my yellow ones......

What a dream Timna!!! Drowning in post-it notes! No wonder you had to hide them.

I must buy a white board like you suggested, Louise. It would be better and more ecologically friendly than using up so much paper.

I cannot believe your girls have their own computer and you have to squish on the dinky chair to access a compter!!! Karen, what a great mother you are!

deb

After giving it due consideration, I have to concede that you are right and that I do deserve a space of my own. I know that I said that the spare room would be great but hubby came up with a better idea.

In my room I have a lovely big bay window with a garden just outside. It has a big comfy window-seat in it with lots of comfy pillows (I do most of my reading here) and a newly installed data port to plug my laptop in to when it arrives next week (thanks to the techno-nerd). The sunlight streams in through the window and it is one of those places that cats love - you know - a place in the sunshine - always lovely and warm, even in winter (though that may have something to do with the heater vent that is just in front of it).

So whilst I don't get a desk - I get something much more comfortable and much less regimented. My place in the sun!!!

My space is my bedroom. It's not very big but is my own self contained little world. It has a sterio system, tv, vcr, Dvd, PC and laptop. I write at my desk which faces the window that looks out over the backyard. Whenever I write i usually light a little candle beside me and put some soft music on, it kind of adds to the atmosphere. I might add that all the stuff in my room I paid for myself with my part time job money. I dont want to save for a car, I want my own world

Sounds like everyone is organised for productivity. I love the idea of a bay window but I must admit I can't work with a lap top myself. I get a kink in my neck from tilting my head down to look at the screen all the time and if I lower my chair to bring my eyes into line with the screen my hands are too high. Call me a whinger, but when I'm in front of the computer for hours every day I want to be comfortable. How do you guys with laptops cope with that?

I love big computers wiht the monitor up on their pedestal. But my hubby gave me a laptop as a Wedding present so I had to start using it instead. Sigh...how tragic. It's great to take anywhere, you just unplug pack it in its cute little bag and off you go.

And you get used to it so quickly. Like when you get a new handbag, at first you fight it thinking nothing will fit but somehow you rearrange and you manage.

I can just picture your space Karen...sounds wonderful. I love bay windows. Now tell me do you have a nook for your coffee cup too!!! Cannot write with out a suitable place for your coffee cup! Esp. with kids around to knock it over...

deb

Deb, the window ledge forms a shelf that runs round three sides of the window seat. Perfect place to put the coffee (and biscuits, or cake).

Louise, in response to the laptop vs PC question, I prefer the lap top to the PC. You can sit wherever, don't have to worry about power-supply (until your batteries run down) and if anything ever goes wrong with it - you just carry it down to your local technician.

You guys are so flexible! I've got a laptop but I hardly ever use it because I've gotten myself so used to sitting in the same place at the same time and that's when my mind switches over into 'writer' mode and it all opens up. Added to which, I've adapted to using an ergonomic keyboard (which is much easier and more comfortable for long hours) so I'm all thumbs on the laptop. My son loves it, however, so at least it's not going to waste

Years ago I used to only be able to access my writing in the long hand format.
Now I need to have a key board to turn on the 'tap' and start creating. It doesn't have to be a certain computer, just so long as it has a keyboard. I love my lap top because when the kids are hassling me I can grab it and go hide somewhere until the battery runs down...that's always a bummer...but still it is very handy.
I do need to write poetry in long hand though...must be a more sensual way to write or something.

Karen, glad to hear you have a spot for you coffee...and a spot for cake too...that's even better!



deb

Guys, I just have to tell you how much more creative and focused I've been lately, and I think it's because my house is now pale lime green on the inside. Where I work is the last room which will be painted this weekend (hope it's back on by Sunday night so I don't miss the chat) but the rest of the house is just so relaxing to be in.

My sister had a book on colour therapy and she told me it was an inspiring colour. Not sure if it's just my imagination, but I've been so into book three and getting great ideas for the next trilogy as well.

What colours are you guys working in (BTW blue is supposed to be very creative as well)

Pale cream walls, cream carpet - renting down here. When we lived in Ashgrove we painted a room at the back of the house (a kind of windowed in built in deck) green. I had a pink set of couches and used to sit out there with a view of the city and over the hills of Bardon. I used to have a cuppa and read out there - what a haven! Everybody freaked when I said I wanted it light green but with the wooden floors and pink couch it was sooooo perfect and calming and soothing.

Never liked blue walls - very Dental surgery to me! Made my Mum and Dad paint there Dental surgery walls light green with a couple of rusty red feature walls and it is the most homey waiting room you could ever hope to see and everyone loves it!

Alyson, your lime room with the pink couch sounds like what I've done here. Fushia pink cushions - I can't get enought of them!

Well, it took a week longer than I thought, but yesterday my study was finally finished and I moved in last night with my beautiful new timber desk which I am very proud to say I assembled myself. I now know where carpenters have all their callouses because my hands hurt like hell - but I did it - glueing dowel bits, hammering little nails in, attaching door hinges. I felt like a real pioneer woman when it was done. My husband was seriously impressed. I'm SO not your handyman type - I don't even put the air in my own car tyres, but I was determined to do this and I did.

So, I now have beautiful lime green walls, a lovely new timber desk and black bookcase and filing cabinets. My awards will take pride of place on the top of the desk and soon I'll have all my reference books handy and my CDs in their little built-in stand instead of scattered in piles on the desk and the floor beside me.

I just love to be organised and I can't tell you how happy all this new/fresh/clean/purpose-built stuff has made me.

Ah, the simple pleasures of life.

i cant wait to have my own house and in it, my own study room. I have so many ideas, and it will just have to wait a few more years.
but your study sounds so great. hope its atmosphere brings you the writing essentials, ie. peace at the mind, peace at the heart.

Timna, I think you hit the nail on the head there. A peaceful heart is SO important. If you don't have peace inside you it's hard to even function in the world, let alone release any creativity. There's something about these green walls that has just relaxed me so much. And now that it's finished my husband can relax too!