As I sit here snowbound by a late spring snowstorm, I can’t help but be thankful that I have an established “home office.” I realize, that’s probably not the first thing that most people think of when they are enjoying an unexpected snow day, but as a writer, a designated work space is as much of a necessity as the ability to procrastinate by binge watching GOT in an attempt to remain socially relevant. All of this being said, whether you are new to the freelance game, or an established pro who struggles with at-home productivity, the following tips will help you find your writer’s bliss.
Tip #1. Choose A Dedicated Work Area.
You might have noticed that I used quotes around “home office” in the opening paragraph. The reason for the quotes is simple, I don’t actually have a room whose sole purpose is to be an office. I do, however, have a dedicated home work area (come to think of it, I also have designated work areas outside of my home).
Working in a traditional office gives you the luxury of separating your professional life from your home life. The inherent challenge of working from home is one of distractions. Your home is supposed to be just that, so how are you supposed to work when the laundry beckons, the dog wants to be let out, and the Roomba seems to have purposefully let the living room’s cobwebs grow? The answer is a dedicated work area. However, before you say, “no sh*t Sherlock,” take a moment to pause and think about what you need from your work area.
Do you need a desk? Perhaps you like to kick your feet up? Maybe you want to get a workout in and love the idea of a treadmill with a built-in desk? With these questions in mind, think before you choose your dedicated work space; because once you have selected the area, you will need to move on to the second tip.
Tip #2. Make Your Workspace Yours.
Finding your writer’s bliss requires you to actually enjoy your workspace. Since I love a bit of oversharing, I’ll tell you about one of my home’s designated work areas. Full disclosure, each place that I call home has two locations for me to work (what can I say, I am a restless soul who has had to learn the hard way that focusing is great and procrastination is downright stressful).
My work area features the following components:
- A private nook with easy access to the kitchen and a bathroom.
- A comfortable two-seater.
- A massive ottoman that has room for my pup to curl up at my feet as I type away.
- A window that looks out on a smidge of nature (i.e. a tree with squirrels that seek to torment my dog, and birds that I swear drop twigs on the squirrels).
- Inspirational artwork.
- Great lighting.
My household can occasionally be a bit chaotic, which is why I took the time to make the nook mine and mine alone. When I enter it, I immediately feel like I’ve entered my writer’s zone (as clichéd as that might sound). Depending on my mood, I put on a play list, settle into the two-seater, and begin to type. By making my designated workspace my own, I am able to remain productive, separate home life from professional requirements, and most importantly I look forward to going into my writer’s nook.
Tip #3. Never Underestimate The Power Of Proper Lighting.
When you are trying to find your writer’s bliss outside of a traditional office, the last thing that you want to experience is unnecessarily tired eyes. In fact, did you know that balanced lighting can greatly reduce eye strain? The good news is that the right combination of natural and artificial light can create the conditions you need to write to your heart’s content. Personally, I love natural lighting. However, when the days are short, I have side table light in my nook. For the days when winter seems to drag on (I’m looking at you late spring snowstorm), I have a Himalayan salt lamp that creates the soft glow I need to stay in the right writing head-space. The moral of the story is simple, don’t be afraid to play with lighting until you find the combination that is best suited for your personality and eyes.
Tip #4. Pay Attention To Color.
Have you ever sat down to write somewhere and felt totally uninspired, but you couldn’t pinpoint why? Did you ever consider that maybe the reason you were uninspired was due to the surrounding colors? It’s no secret that color psychology plays an incredibly important role in our lives. In fact, I have written about this very topic for several clients here at WriterAccess. However, far too often we forget that in order to find our writer’s bliss we need to surround ourselves with the right colors.
Choosing the right colors will depend entirely on your personality and emotional needs. For example, yellow can be used to create unity, while red can provide energy and excitement. Orange often symbolizes optimism, while purple represents affluence, and shades of grey or brown can be used to create feelings of clear-headedness and stability. As a writer, you have your own literary style. Embrace this style and support it by choosing colors that compliment your skills and encourage you to seamlessly enter into the head-space needed to write to the best of your abilities.
Writers Don’t Need A Traditional Office, But They Do Require A Designated Work Area.
Some people might disagree with me, but I truly believe that if you want to find your writer’s bliss, then you don’t need to create a traditional office. Instead, all you need is a designated work area that is entirely you. From the colors on the walls, to the style of lighting, to the actual location, everything about your work area should be designed to help you remain motivated and focused. In other words, if you want to find your writer’s bliss, then you need to create an area that you are excited to work in; of course, if you still need help finding your writer’s bliss, just turn to the WA Blog for other helpful tips, tools, and professional insights.
Laura P has written 4,000+ articles, blog posts, product reviews, press releases, and website content for a multitude of clients. In the past 7 years, she has developed written, marketing, video, and web content for clients in the real estate, information technology, restaurant, auto, retail, equine sales, oil and gas, and public relations industries. Laura is highly proficient in SEO optimization, particularly in real estate and retail industries. She ghost wrote IT white papers, government contract task orders, RFIs, and RFPs that resulted in millions of dollars won. She has 7-years of experience working with and interviewing olympic athletes, small-business owners, CEOs, SMEs, and entrepreneurs on complex topics. As a professional writer, Laura strives to create content that is both meaningful and relatable to her readers.
