Sacred Space

We had a big party at our offices last night.  A bunch of writer friends showed up and I got to share my office with people.

Whenever anyone walked into the office I share with Tim, the look was one of awe.  To look around our office is to look at a home, a place where we get work done that is full of our personality and full of our warmth.  It's inviting.  It was nice that so many people wanted to convene in our private space that night to check it out and compliment us on it.

That was just a huge confirmation that Tim and I have created our sacred space.  We are two people who have come together and created a space to get work done.  And while creating space for ourselves, we are creating space for each other.  We're kind of taking care of each other, which is beautiful.  So it was nice to have some people who we respect and love come bless the space with their spirit and their presence.

My friend Susan sent me a lovely text after she saw the space saying that this office is a part of my next chapter.  And I really believe that.  The way I conduct myself in my office is sending an intention out into the Universe of how I want my life to be.

First of all, I want to be in charge.  Not surprising, if you really know me.  But this is my space and I am the boss.  The look of the space is a combination of what Tim and I want.  But the books and the layout of my desk and the snacks I have…all of those things are what I want to be surrounded by.  I am the captain of the ship and I sit at that substantial desk in control and ready to navigate.

I show up five days a week (so far not working weekends) for 6-8 hours a day.  I put in the time.  I am proclaiming that my work life is spent writing.  I am a writer.  I can prove it.

The first thing I do when I show up at the office is meditate.  That sets the tone for the day.  I try to end the day meditating as well, so that I bookend the day in a spiritual way.  It's a ritual.  I am blessing the work space by meditating.

I keep my seat.  I'm not going to pretend that all I do for 6-8 hours a day is participate in the physical act of writing.  My fingers aren't tapping away all day.  But everything I do is related to writing, including staying put.  If I'm at my desk most of the time, except for bathroom and stretch breaks, then when a thought hits me, I can reach for an index card.  Or I can look something up on Google.  Or I can watch a video that sparks a thought.  Or I can let my brain breathe by listening to music.  I can read.  I can stare into space.  But I'm at work, at my work space.  So chances are I'll get work done if I'm in the place where I'm supposed to work.

I fill the tank.  I don't wait for my creative tank to be completely depleted in order to fill it back up.  If I'm not writing per se, I'm reading The War of Art or Turning Pro for the umpteenth time.  Or I'm reading as research.  Filling the tank includes all of the You Tube shenanigans I watch.  But it also means a lot of reading.  I am reading parts of a few different books right now.  Currently, I am in research mode and right now the research is Woody Allen.  It's pretty fantastic to get to watch the films, read some of the books, and just get back into a certain frame of mind with Woody.  It's what I was doing with Robert Altman last summer.

I'm going camping overnight to just recharge the batteries and get in touch with the other part of my life, my boyfriend.  I can get neglectful when I'm writing.  I forget that.  And I don't always explain where my brain is.  A friend and I were talking about writers and musicians and how their brain's work differently.  He has a brother who's a musician who drives him crazy for the same reasons that my musician boyfriend drives me crazy.  It was a reminder to communicate and to be patient.  So I'm heading out to another sacred space to do the work of connecting to my spiritual partner.  The work needs a space, no matter what the work is.

I am grateful for my office.
I am grateful that my friends have seen my office.
I am grateful that I am aware of myself.
I am grateful for the opportunity to watch films by one of my favorite directors.
I am grateful for the time to go camping.
I am grateful for nature.