I casually said to Sara over a Korean rice bowl that I was stuck, blocked and unable to write. I shared that I follow several other writers’ blogs and universally, they all say that a writer should learn to write anywhere. The ritual of “getting in the mood” to write is to be avoided at all costs. And Sara, whom I adore for being a straight shooter interrupts me and asks, “Are all these writers men?” I had to think about it, because I often do not file or filter gender and indeed, all of them are men. Sara says, “There ya go! They are full of shit.” Sara insists that women need a space of their own, a ritual, a sacred area that is not shared or communal. So I spent some time on Saturday afternoon thinking about my space and where in the house I currently reside is purely my space. And the answer was…..none.
Sunday, I set about changing this but only after having a mini-crisis that I was being ridiculous. My inner critic was griping. “Why can’t you just leave things like they are? Why are you always changing things? You are never satisfied!” And after a brief lie down, I got up and rearranged three rooms of furniture, essentially moving all communal items out of the small study that once included the second TV and the XBox. How am I to get the clutter out of my head when the room around me is cluttered with video game boxes and controllers and errant dishes? I Made the once dining room into the game area. I moved the big dining room table into the living room effectively compromising about eating and watching TV. But now that beautiful table will get used every day instead of just when company comes over. And…I have my office area back and to myself. My desk with computer, a closet well organized with my crafts stuff and my sewing machine now looks out the front window at the bird feeders and bird bath.
I am a happy girl. My kids are happy with the new arrangement, too. They admitted after the furniture was all moved that they always worried about disrupting me. We moved the furniture, cleared the air and eat dinner while watching an episode of The Mentalist on the DVR.