My Writing Space by Carol Harrison

  

For years, my chosen writing space has been on my computer at my desk. My style of desk has changed over the years as has the space around it. Rarely have I had the luxury of a separate office. Often, as now, the office space is in a corner of my bedroom. The area around the desk could be called cluttered for it often is. Yet many of the objects on and above my desk inspire me, relax me, and intrigue me. The pictures on the shelves above the desk area include paintings by people I know, old photos, and two book covers for books I have written.

I have a large mirrored word, DREAM, hanging just above my desk as a reminder to let my imagination soar and work towards dreams I may have. There is also a painted word, BELIEVE, sitting on my desk and another that says, REJOICE ALWAYS. Good reminders every day. Small rocks including geodes sit on shelves by my desk. Some little rocks in containers are shiny or little gemstones. Others are plain and smooth with words like HOPE, FAITH, SMILE and WISDOM printed on them. More great reminders for daily life and in my writing as well.

Outside my window, beside the desk area, is a large evergreen tree. Lots of birds make their nests in it. During spring and summer, when my window is open, I enjoy the birds singing. It is a calm, peaceful spot to open the computer and type my thoughts into a new word document. I can type faster than I can write longhand and so for years my go to method meant working on the computer, opening a new word document, and watching a piece of writing transform from an idea in my mind to words and sentences on the screen.

If I wanted to journal or jot ideas down on paper, I liked to curl up in a comfy chair in the living room, letting the light shine in from the large window beside it. Almost three years ago I stopped most of my writing. Oh, I continued to grab a nice writing pen and pretty journal and sit in that comfy chair by the window. I could write longhand journal entries and even the few other bits of writing I have worked on these last few years. I began jotting more family stories in this manner. Later I typed them into the computer and printed them off for the grandchildren for Christmas.

I find morning or early afternoon have proven the most productive for writing over the years. By late afternoon and evening, my mind wanders to other activities and family time. Despite knowing a writing routine might be a great thing, I have never written daily. It allows some spontaneity but also makes me easily procrastinate, which isn’t good. If I have a specific project on the go, I write more frequently than if no firm ideas are in place.

I still need quiet other than something as soothing as bird song to concentrate on writing anything, even journal entries. But what changed my preferred space and method of writing in the last three years? The short answer is I am not sure. Sitting at the computer felt like a chore. I had excuses like poor lighting and a very messy desk as papers piled up on and around the computer which felt like too much effort to sort through.

I’ve run a few pens out of ink, completed more notebooks and journals, and continue to enjoy the pieces of things that inspire me. Maybe one day I’ll sort the clutter, find hidden treasures I’ve jotted down and revert to having my desk once again become my first choice of writing environment. while thoughts become words and completed pieces on my computer. Until then I’ll grab a notebook, good pen, and enjoy my comfy chair for the times I actually think of something to write.

 

Carol Harrison types her pieces on to her laptop amidst the mess of her cluttered desk area in Saskatoon, SK. She writes in a variety of genres, but really enjoys the family stories to tell or write down for her family.

Writing While Walking by Michelle Joy Teigrob

 

I do my best writing away from screens and notebooks, usually while I’m out on a long walk in the countryside. The writing all takes place inside my head. However, I may tap out a quick reminder note in my phone if I’m worried that I’ll forget what my brain has spun.

I have noticed that the most inspiring words and ideas show up as I near the end of my long trek. Could it be due to the increased levels of oxygen hitting my brain, I’ve wondered? Certainly, all that exercise seems to be sending my blood cells marching more than they usually do.

It turns out I’m far from alone in finding that I’m most creative when I’m walking. Studies have compared the creativity levels of people while sitting versus while walking, either outside or on a treadmill. In one series of three experiments, 81%, 88%, and 100% of participants demonstrated higher levels of creativity when walking as compared to when sitting (Oppezzo and Schwartz).

And this boost in inventiveness does apparently stem in part from the heightened action in one’s veins and arteries, I’ve also learned. Walking may hike blood flow by about 25%, feeding the brain more of its favourite fuel – oxygen and glucose (Montago).

Of course, after the walk, I do need to sit down before a computer screen and transcribe my thoughts. The best time for doing that, I’ve learned, is early morning, when there’s no risk of interruption from anyone for at least a good hour. The absolute stillness of the house in that time allows me to focus in ways that I find difficult throughout most of the rest of my busy day.

For me, my creativity tends to calcify in front of a computer screen. However, give me some fresh air, a long road flanked by open fields, and bird-song, and, while I will never be a C.S. Lewis or John Milton, I certainly enjoy many more adventures of the imagination than if I’d stayed home on my couch.

Michelle Joy Teigrob is an author, college instructor, mom of three, and wife of one. She grew up as a missionary kid in Belize, Central America, the youngest of 10 children. In addition to her twin’s death, she has since lived through the loss of two other sisters. Michelle's new book, Joyfully Star-Mapping through Life's Dung Piles, shares about her journey through her wrenching sadness. Visit www.michellejoybooks.ca to learn more.

References

Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577

Montago, Margaretha. (February 22, 2025). Does Walking Make You More Creative (and Better at Problem-Solving)? DOI: https://margarethamontagu.com/does-walking-make-you-more-creative/

In God’s Office by Peggianne Wright

I have long held that romantic vision of the writer sitting in the far corner of a coffee shop, sipping a flat white while tapping furiously on the keys of their laptop; the image of a "real" writer. But, me? Ha. I'm lucky if I get five words typed while I sit in a public space like the library or coffee shop. I just cannot shift my attention from the distraction of people watching to the serious focus on my writing.

Truth be told, my fur-kids have attention spans much greater than mine! I put it down to the curse of multi-tasking over all those decades since I first began working in 1979. As the craze of multi-tasking became what was considered in the business world the pillar of strength and a top resume accolade, I'm pretty sure that for me, I was training myself how to begin far too many tasks at once, and as a result creating nothing but stress and anxiety in the effort to complete each one perfectly. What I have discovered, at least about myself, is that my ability to focus was forever compromised in the pursuit of successful multi-tasking.

Fast forward to present day.

As I have embraced my writing life in my retirement from the business world, I have had to contend with the multi-tasking impulse so ingrained in my brain. My even greater struggle is my ability to focus. Obviously, social media has also played a significant role in the way all of us deal with focusing on specific tasks or dealing with various other undertakings.

The verse "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you" (Proverbs 4:27 NIV) reminds me that, as a Christian writer, the most important focus should be first on the Lord. And what better place to do that than in the midst of nature?

My husband and I are blessed to have a small home nestled on the edge of a tiny forest. Our back porch oasis has become the perfect space during our oh-so-short warm season to spend time with God. Early mornings, as the sun dawns, find me savouring my steaming first cup, snuggled with my fur-kids, Bible, and devotional. The rustling trees and musical birdsong, a chorus of several native species, stirs my senses and reminds me of God's presence at that moment.

It's here too, in this idyllic setting of God's office, that I spend hours with my thoughts; writing devotionals and other works that I pray will reveal His great wonder and powerful love for us all. This quiet office of nature provides heavenly inspiration as I reflect on the profound majesty of Creation. Here, in the solitude, I can at last find focus through the peacefulness of the moment. Here, I can fix my gaze directly on Him and furiously tap out the messages He has placed on my heart.

However, as the seasons change, so too does my writing venue. The cooler days of spring and fall and the frigid, snowy days of winter find me nestled cozily in my study. A space lovingly filled with shelves full of my favourite books and family heirlooms; the "closet" of God's office, in which to harness my focus and fix my gaze.

But, regardless of the physical settings, my writing goes on constantly in my head. As my multi-tasking schedule dictates much of my day, words and sentences, ideas and themes will present themselves and thus, my writing space, and God's office, may become the line in the grocery store, the bedroom as I make the bed, the gas station as I fill my tank while I quickly jot them in an app on my phone.

God has blessed me with the love of books, words, and writing and has tasked me to use this passion in a way that will share the Gospel, encourage love and kindness, and hopefully edify those who may read my scribbles. As the Holy Spirit guides me, I will embrace the spaces that inspire words and stories, in whatever season it may be, and know that so long as I fix my gaze, I'll keep my focus in God's office.

Peggianne Wright is a published author and is the founder of the pet parent ministry Paws To Pray, blending her passion for the Lord and all-things-K9 to form this unique, faith-based community. Peggianne is an ardent Bible study student, devoted dog mom, wife of 44 years, and lover of music. Her blogs Spiritual Scribbles and Fur-Kid Fanatics can be found on her website www.PawsToPray.ca and you can follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PawsToPray/ and on IG @Sister_In_Prayer.

In The Quiet Spaces by Bob Jones

   

Quiet.

I thrive in quiet spaces.

I'm like a sheep that the Psalm 23rd shepherd leads beside still waters.

My writing gets done in several environments, but they share the common quality of quiet. Noise, sounds, music, and even the sound of a television show in a distant room are annoying distractions. I write best behind closed doors.

Most of my writing life is spent in a backroom in our home at an antique, roll top desk. My wife describes the desktop as a nightmare. It’s the opposite of quiet. It holds trophies awarded to our sons, books, pictures, a lantern, artwork, collectible Coke bottles and Jones soda bottles and items from Ukraine. It's a beast to dust.

There's a B&W framed picture of me holding my grandfather’s Chihuahua in front of his ’57 Chrysler when I was three years old.

Those items don't inspire my writing; they inspire my life because they’re rooted in history and the people who mean the world to me.

My favourite quote is taped to the front portion of the roll top.

“Concerning all acts of initiative in creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. And all sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed could have come his way.”

Scottish mountaineer W.H. Murray

I write best in the fall, winter, and spring when it's cooler. Early mornings are the only time that work for me in the summer months. Our home does not have air conditioning, and by at 11 AM on most summer days the heat is already oppressive. So, the bulk of my writing gets crammed in between October and May.

I write something every day without fail.

Some days there's only three sentences. Other days, there's 3000 words. The outcome is determined by other responsibilities but also my frame of mind. I can easily bear down and focus when I'm inspired. A few hours feel like minutes. I imagine you know the feeling.

There are few things more fulfilling than hitting the publish button.

That quiets my heart.