Creating a Personal Workspace
I recently started working from home as a freelancer and had to change SO much about my daily routine. Little things like when I wake up and go to sleep, to my meal plan and where I would now work. I immediately knew I wanted a space I could call my own. A space that inspired me to create and fuel productivity. Somewhere separate from my bed and not just plopping on my couch, because let’s face it, a life of working from my couch would mean a lot more Netflix and a lot less writing. I wanted to create a personalized at-home office.
This could be easily created whether you work from home or not. I think everyone needs a little corner for whatever fills your soul. A space for meditating, yoga, crafting, painting, drawing, writing, reading, cooking—whatever it is, you need a space you can go to for play, experimenting and creating.
Where do you seek inspiration?
It all begins with finding out what excites you. Where do you go to seek inspiration? Over the last few months I’ve done a lot of work on figuring out my personal aesthetic and what brings me crazy inspiration. I’ve read a lot of soul-work texts and been developing a personal practice in mediation and kundalini yoga. I’ve unfollowed and followed new people on Instagram that truly inspire me rather than inhibit me and bring me down.
I pulled images that really called out to me and colors that filled me, touching me energetically. I used the Canva color palette tool and the Canva branding features to completely create my personal brand. I’ve dived completely into my art; into my writing. I ended up trying out a lot of different design styles and created various digital content to find out what sparks me. It felt good. It felt like a step to create a business and every business needs an “office” whether it’s in a cubicle or not.
What will you hold on to?
Next, decluttering! I took a page from Dany of Spatial Soulutions and cleared away EVERYTHING in the area of my apartment that I would revamp into my little home office, mindfully working through each item to see what fills me and brings in positive energy. I used her tips in a TCM article and separated each item into a pile: keep/relocate, donate, sell, trash, and recycle. I really thought about each item, considering how much functionality it provided me and how much it reflected my new brand. There were so many things I parted with that I’ve held onto since high school. So many little knick-knacks I decided to donate because while they had a beautiful story, that story had no connection in the item itself. I’ve learned to hold on to items that truly had value. I’ve learned that filling my life with stuff really means filling my life with clutter and art only starts with blank pages anyway.
What fuels your purpose?
Then the fun part began. I realized the less I had on my desk the more I was inspired to work and create. The more I wanted to fill the space with the vibrant energy ready to open out into the world. I placed a few items out on my desk that really meant something to me and could easily be switched out if it no longer served me. I also added items that served a purpose (i.e. a reusable water bottle, candle, coaster). I added a plant and set up this beautiful book lamp my sister gifted me a few years ago, but up until this point sat unused. I completely reorganized all my files and drawers so they worked with my new routine and work style. I added some small photos/art that truly inspired me. Everything had a purpose. Everything was cleared out to intentionally bring in more clarity and abundance in this new journey of my life.
Finally, I went down to a crystal shop off Abbott Kinney and picked some crystals that reflected the new energy I was calling out for in my work. Amazonite (green/blue mineral) is ideal for clearing out stressors and is a powerful throat chakra stone, helping you to freely express yourself and easing communication with others. As a freelance writer, this is SO much of what I do. Citrine (yellow crystal) emanates positivity and joy; it’s also linked to the creative process, enhancing mental clarity and allows for the flow of ideas and visualization. That was it. Add in a spunky little adopted pup by my side and it was perfect.
I finished with a cleansing palo santo ritual to clear out any lingering negative energy and bring in new positive energy. I set intentions for my new space and sat down to work.
I’m so excited to share this space with you. If you’ve read up until this point, thank you SO much. Let me know if it helps you in the comments below and, as always, feel free to message me directly!