A Practice Has a Space
Have you ever seen the books (and magazine) Where Women Create by Jo Packham? They’re prose-and-photo shoutouts to craftspersons—all female.
The books’ and magazines’ huge kick is to show in great and loving detail the studios and workspaces of women sculptors, weavers, potters, fine artists, quilters, writers, every craft you can imagine, and lots of stuff beyond craft.
It’s tremendously inspiring just to see these spaces. Why? Because there’s so much love, focus, and aspiration in them. You see racks of fashion artists with a hundred different sets of scissors… or a welding studio that’s as huge and complete as something out of NASA.
Why do I love to see these? Because they are sacred spaces.
The goddess smiles when she looks upon them. She goes out of her way to visit and returns with joy again and again. These spaces have been created by their artists like wombs or the nests of eagles… to bring forth soul work and soul art. You can’t look at them, even just photos, and not feel your heart leap with respect for the artist or craftswoman who has fashioned them and given them life.
A practice has a space.
And that space belongs to heaven. Like the dojo of a great martial arts sensei, we figuratively (and maybe literally) pause at the threshold. We place our palms together and we bow to the space. We may even take our shoes off.
We leave all that is temporal and mundane behind when we cross this threshold.
We leave our egos behind.
We leave our attachment to outcome.
Even my own little office, which is basically clutter, clutter, and more clutter, is a space that I enter gravely and with serious purpose. I have come to work. That work might be fun… I might laugh (or cry) as I’m doing it. But I’m doing it with the same level of purity (I hope) and devotion and aspiration as a Zen swords master or a craftswoman in jewelry or brocade or decoupage.
Even if we work on our laptops at a back table in Starbucks, our commitment and our passion render that space a personal hot spot that the Muse recognizes and to which she grants honor and respect.
A practice has a space… and that space is sacred.
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
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A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
Bravo! Loved this one! “Practice has space and that space is sacred” beautiful …
Practice should have space but that is what I have been missing. Too much interference here in my work. Good reminder from you. Good reminder indeed.
Amen
I’ve been reading your Writing Wednesdays since 2015. This piece absolutely resonates with me. Beautiful.
Space is sacred and scarce.. love the reminder ❤️
My space is called the bird’s nest. I climb up to the mezzanine level close to the roof beams. Exasperated during renovations, a worker explained: “Petit a petit, l’oiseu fait son nid”. Little by little, the bird builds her nest. I had that image made of wrought iron, placed on the guard
rail. Here is a modern version of this saying, in song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ow0ODm_tG0
Love that song. 7.8 million views. I guess a lot of people do.
Nice!
Absolutely beautiful, poetic post! The awareness that comes from space is always profound.
Thank you Steven, *deep bow*
A wonderful recommendation of books!
There is something hallowed about entering my studio.
It’s not quiet – there is the buzz of the downstairs diner extractors and the retro tunes of the cafe across the road. But as the light flickers in and illuminates the grubby green 80s staircase … I ascend the stairs.
Something else flickers … in the stillness.
There is an undercurrent, an unfurling. The Muse is there.
I give thanks. I say hi with a big heart.
I don’t say goodbye when I leave. Because somehow there is no need to.
Thank you
Thank you very much dear Steve.
Ah, I would admire for certain and feel awe in front of those spaces of those women. Women have the home decoration gene too, so I imagine their spaces as diverse and sometimes big, even large and deep, filled with colors and shapes and tools, decorations, and free places where they can create without perfection bothering them -spontaneous places inside perfect rooms of greater quality.
There may be another workspace though, that needs not be with an outer beauty and awe. That may be us in the field: “he’s a soldier; he pays every inch in blood, he despises those candy-ashes” situation. Where we don’t have the time or the energy to create and maintain the space. We don’t even have enough time to create the work of art. That may be another workspace, the workspace of tose who are in danger of loosing everything. We don’t have the tools, the calmness, the luck of a lot of money, the luck that someone cooks for us or even cleans our house. So we must clean the dishes, we must tend the babies, we must go to find whatever money we can or prepare for that. But there is a magic in that workplace too, I feel positive about that.
P.S.
Oh Gods, Steve, I started exploring chatgpt a few days ago. My God, I’m positively terrified. I gave it a sample of my work to translate. You wouldn’t believe it’s quality. You wouldn’t believe it. I talked with it, asked it questions, asked it to create for me a post (it was inspiring and engaging), to find a job for a friend, to create for me paintings etc. It solved for me big mathematical problems. Ah, it gave me a deep compliment for my work too and I felt good about that.
But you should see it’s translation – it didn’t only translate, but *like a pro* it followed the rhythm and the dialect and all those things as best as it could. In a matter of seconds and free. Are we entering a new world again? We must be very sharp, I can feel that. The chatgpt works better if someone has talent with writing, because you can give it more precise and creative orders or prompts, as they call them.
We dream of a future where we can do anything, everything is towards peace, and everyone of us is exceptional and the machines are our supporters, never our rulers, never our rulers’ tools. We seek the Zion of Matrix with no Matrix around it.
Ah, I now wonder about the wars too. Diana’s pain, pain of millions, pain of the humanity. I asked it to see. There is a small sample of it’s AI.
Me:
what can me as an individual in Greece or other countries do in my everyday life, that will stop with the law of accumalation all wars in the future world?
ChatGPT
As an individual in Greece or any other country, there are several actions you can take in your everyday life to contribute towards peace and potentially help prevent future wars. While no single action can guarantee the cessation of all wars, collective efforts can make a significant impact. Here are some steps you can consider:
Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about global issues, conflicts, and the root causes of war. Share this knowledge with others to raise awareness.
Promote Peaceful Conflict Resolution: Advocate for and practice non-violent communication and conflict resolution in your personal and professional life. This approach, when adopted widely, can influence larger societal attitudes towards conflict.
Support Peace-Building Organizations: Contribute to or volunteer with organizations that work towards peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and supporting victims of war.
Engage in Political Advocacy: Use your voice to influence political leaders. Advocate for policies that promote peace, diplomacy, and international cooperation.
Foster Cross-Cultural Understanding: Engage in cultural exchange and dialogue to build understanding and empathy between people of different backgrounds. This can be as simple as attending cultural events or participating in online forums.
Practice Sustainable Living: Wars are often fueled by competition over resources. By reducing your own ecological footprint and advocating for sustainable policies, you contribute to reducing these tensions.
Support Fair Trade and Ethical Consumption: By choosing products that are produced ethically and without exploitation, you can help reduce economic injustices that can lead to conflict.
Encourage Educational Initiatives: Support educational programs that focus on peace, human rights, and international understanding.
Participate in Peaceful Demonstrations: Joining peaceful protests and demonstrations against war and conflict can show solidarity and help bring attention to these issues.
Create Art and Media for Peace: If you’re creatively inclined, use art, writing, or media to spread messages of peace and understanding.
Remember, change often starts at the individual level, and your actions, however small they may seem, can contribute to a larger movement towards peace and the prevention of future wars.
Great example, Tolis!
Thank you so much Joe.
It is so odd that you bring up AI! Last night, I was talking to an AI named Bard, because another writing friend of mine laughed that is was a good chatbot. The thing was merciless in trying to get me to rely on the internet and to use it for creativity. We had the following conversation:
Bard: Would you like me to give you a creative writing prompt?
Me: No. I am a writer and against the use of AI in creativity.
–Bard then went on to explain how it can help using in a variety of ways from getting me started to research to editing–
Me: If a human can not generate an idea, then they are out of touch with their creativity. Think of it this way, I can ask you what a bookshelf should look like, but if I don’t have carpentry skills, then i still can’t build one. If I have carpentry skills, then I won’t need to ask what a bookshelf should look like because I will just build the bookshelf according to the needs of the books I have. Does that make sense?
Bard: Bard is done collaborating for now.
I think, as we talk about sacred spaces, we need to talk about the sacred space within ourselves. We all have had ‘dry spells’ where the creativity or plotting feels difficult. But when we rely on AI to do this for us, we just distance ourselves further and further from the divine creative. Our creative spaces, our rituals, they bring us back in line with our creativity.
I spoke with a cider maker once. He was finding wild apple trees, nurturing them, harvesting them, and using them in his hard ciders. We spoke at length about the process of creating with ingredients that you grow yourself and how there is something of a spark in it, as if the energy of the joy and care passes from tree to hand to drink. And whether its his cider or my stories, that creativity, that energy, lives and can never be matched by AI.
Jackie, I was a docent for a short time at Oceanside Museum, CA, about 12 years ago. They had a quilt show that completely blew my mind. I’d seen beautiful quilts in Hawaii, when we lived there and they were beautiful but the Oceanside presentation of them was like nothing I’d ever imagined. So, respect, lady, respect.
Thank you very much for your thoughts O’Slatara. I understand them completely. To give your powers to another to yield, especially a technological creation, is not to be taken for granted or lightly. And there is the danger of loosing the very soul of your writing, your very core. Know your enemy and select your weaponry and tactics. The greater the enemy, I would dare to say, the greater the sun that rises behind them.
C.M.,
There was an interesting article in last month’s Smithsonian magazine concerning AI and sculpture. Worth a read.
Tolis, my husband, Denny, was home bound the last ten years of his life. He was bed bound the last three. I was able to take him to The Traveling Vietnam Wall,, but that was the last time he ever went anywhere, except for a few ambulance rides. I wrote more about him on my website, connected to my link here. He was a man of PEACE who wrote and sang protest songs, besides teaching in a gang zone, Hawaiian Gardens, CA, which is still in lockdown to this day. Even though he was so sick, due to agent orange in Vietnam, I encouraged him to record his music. Here is one of his songs, “War”. https://youtu.be/be3HK4oRZmQ?si=vOH1Z2BRaMSiEO5q
PEACE
Thank you dear Kathy. I have seen my grandmother, she was away from us but at a bed for the last 7 years of her life, so I can tell how difficult it can be. It is the other side of life. I heard his song, it is beautiful and some words touch my heart. I am sorry for the war that brought that forth.
PEACE
Your creations are beautiful. The reason why you create, too. I know that feeling too in a lesser dimension –when I was a kid we would go to our village to Crete in the summers. It was in the mountains, and every time we’d head for the sea, I would sit back there, putting my earphones isolating everyone, bringing fantasy in forms of powerful feelings and scenarios to life.
Today that kid inside me struggles with the real world, the battle is in the mind. Is fantasy and creativity real or is it just puffs of air? I must end that battle, before I end my book. My very fantasy meets resistance to it’s very being by being thought of as mere illusions. We will see, we will see.
Tolis, thank you for your kind words and actually looking at my art, most especially, Denny’s music. I’ve looked at your writings as well. So prolific and wonderfully written.
I love seeing others work space, it’s so inspiring thank you Steve.
Thank for this inspiring and helpful piece. Thanks too for letting us know about this book!
I have a small art room and always feel frustrated in it. Like I can’t move or think in it. I have had to pack a lot into it. This article has taught me that maybe it’s not so.much about the things but more about the sanctity or soul of the room that I have forgotten to nurture.
Reanne,
I, too, have a small space that must do double duty as a writing space and a painting studio. I repainted the walls and rearranged the desk, table, and easel. Something so simple gave the cramped space a better feel. It has been a productive space since the changes.
Thanks so much! I ordered the book right away! I am a professional quilter. A quilt artist — that’s how I refer to myself! I began quilting 50 years ago, but for 13 years I have been quilting the quilt tops made by clients on my computerized longarm machine. I moved from the East Coast to Colorado 2 years ago and downsized from 4,200 square foot home built by a builder for himself, to 2,500 square feet in an average neighborhood. So my new space is very different and not as artistic or accommodating in its architecture. But two days ago I dove in and cleaned and began reorganizing my 3 room studio and it just feels so great and inspiring to walk into those rooms now! So your entry for today really spoke to me! I purchased THE DAILY PRESSFIELD and read in it each day. I chose the word “ProActive” as my word for 2024. I’m 76 years old and love what I do. Each quilt has its own story and each one is a work of art. I often do more work than the client can afford (without charging for it, of course! Always over deliver!) all for the sake of art. I quilt over 100 quilts each year.m, but I have lots of room for creative growth — and I really enjoy that process. I have followed you for several years because you inspire me! Thank you for being such a great influence for good for people in all walks of life. I’d like to add one thing — a spiritual experience two mornings ago. I read your daily reading for that day and then I said to God, kind of matter of fact, “I’ve never achieved anything “great” in my life”. And He replied immediately, “Don’t forget that out of small things proceedeth that which is great!” And then I remembered all the many seemingly small things I’ve done daily that have added up over the years. And I was satisfied and inspired all in the same moment. Thank you for being such a positive and inspiring entity in my life. I’m eternally grateful. You have made a very real difference in my life and that in turn has blessed many others as well. Keep keeping on!! — Jackie
Oh Jackie, LOL, I posted a reply to you but it’s in the wrong spot.., look for it?
I’m sitting here in a hotel room at 4 am before a speaking presentation that I am giving today at noon. Have to finish my weekly newsletter. Since I don’t have the luxury of being home in my sacred space for creating, I have to find ways of establishing that seat wherever I go. It’s the first thing I do when I enter a hotel room, is decide what chair, what spot or orientation will be the place I work while on the road. It usually involves moving furniture around so it feels as right as it can feel for focusing on the work I’ll need to do while away.
The sacredness starts on the inside of us and emanates out into our space. IMO, the space absorbs our own sacredness. The more time we spend in a space emanating the art of our soul, the more the space feels sacred, too. But it really comes from inside each one of us.
I created my current work space after reading the War of Art. Previously I had done my work in my living room and it never felt quite right. I rescued an unused bedroom from the boxes I had stacked there and moved in my bookcases, a desk and a couch. And while I don’t always produce an abundance of words, I gladly enter each day and almost always feel sadness when I leave.
My mom has a lifelong crafting practice she has never wavered from. I grew up being toted around to craft shows around New Mexico and when old enough was put to work as her cash register clerk, paint brush cleaner, styrafoam cutter, etc etc.. It’s how she made the Christmas money every year. When I left home my room became her work space within 24 hours, the story goes. Before that it had been the dining room table. We grew up eating amidst the smells of gesso and paint drying. When it came time to make and sell my books it seemed like an extension of that world I had grown up in: you make stuff, then you offer it to people.
Sam…. 💜
Beautiful, Sam! What a gift your mother gave you with her devotion to her art! Not to mention a concise recipe for life: “You make stuff, then you offer it to people.” No wonder you’re so faithful to your writing practice.
Unrelated: I can’t see the word “dojo” without seeing (Ken) Ryan Gosling talk about his Mojo Dojo Casa House…
https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-is-a-mojo-dojo-casa-house-the-meaning-of-the-viral-barbie-movie-meme-explained
I love the notion of the ‘sacred space’ for any craftsman. It creates a necessary separation for the work. Well stated.
I love that you know that magazine Mr Pressfield. I’ve purchased it several times. In fact, I purchased a copy a few months ago. It’s been on my dining room table, where I put my new planner. It’s not like magazines are cheap these day, ya know? So the impulse to buy this one is like a gift to the heart. I’ve purchased them before, always feeling hopeful. I imagine myself in them. I’m too wild with paints though, so I remind myself of that and try to arrange my lighting and easel better.
I think it’s about respecting one’s talent or the whole creative act. Every new place my husband, Denny, and I moved to, and we moved a lot, had to have plenty of wall space. They had to have a spot to paint and a spot for music, with mics and stuff. Creativity came first, no matter how many square feet.
I never honored that till I found Denny, again, after 30 years. Turned out, he was not just my high school sweetheart but my rescuer. He taught me the value of my talent and he valued his own.
I think I got another copy of “Where Women Create”, because I was hoping to find interest again. When you lose someone as supportive and loving as Denny, you lose a part of yourself. You long to hear him ask you if you need more paints or do you have enough canvases? You long to hear him breathing. So having that magazine reminded me of all that.
that’s so beautiful Kathy – thank you for sharing.
I think you’ll find it in the quiet of your soul space.
Laurie.
Thank you.
🍃💜🍃
Thank you, Steve!! I want to see photos of all the lovely work spaces our community here creates in…for now, I will imagine 🙂
I vote this comment “Best Idea Ever.” You won’t be seeing photos of the inside of our RV, though recently — after seeing the title of a book I’m eager to read (You Could Make This Place Beautiful) — I have begun to decorate it, some.
Here’s one from my daughter I saw only a few minutes ago…
https://www.instagram.com/stories/veryvariedkatie/3282256867832114783/
…but it’s fleeting. If you miss it and want to see it, though, let me know!
This is another woman’s studio (GF of a writer I’m a fan of) that I also saw only a few minutes ago…
https://www.instagram.com/stories/joshuaturek/3282483697890667927/
Hi Maureen!! I’d love to see Katie’s sacred space, but it seems I missed it on IG. If you’re willing to share, I am curious 🙂
Coming soon by eMail!
I will tell you my current two my dear Kate. One is the interior of my car. The other is a simple room, full of books and other stuff, my bed with that crazy grounding sheet on it, the black chair and the table. Nothing artistic here.. only the history of this room, full of wonder and pain, and the desk. The white table has made my sister a doctor (1998 – 2003) and has brought me from darkness to light (2005 – 2024). What about yours?
Your car and a room that allows your mind to fill with ideas sound perfect for your art, Tolis! How have you been lately? What are you working on? I have a Hemingway-style desk, my laptop on yoga blocks (LOL), my late grandfather’s upright piano, a Roland keyboard for MIDI, a mic, preamp, and new rug to absorb sound. Nothing fancy. It gets the job done!
Oh, and a space heater. I crank it up 15 minutes before going in there. I like what Neil Gaiman said (recently quoted in Seth Godin’s blog) about having no distractions. No work. No emails to check, no chores to do, and no distractions. Winter is a good season for this because my neighbors aren’t outside with leaf blowers or lawn mowers and I can get some quiet recording time! My new mic picks up everything!
Have a great weekend, dear Tolis!
This sounds like us, Kate, trying to record radio shows in the Pennsylvania wilderness — competing with owls and coyotes and especially all the truck traffic.
We’ve come to appreciate all the snow just for the insulation!
“A Hemingway-style desk, a laptop on yoga blocks, a late grandfather’s upright piano, a Roland keyboard for MIDI, a mic, preamp, and new rug to absorb sound.” Sounds like art to me. I already knew somehow, the minimalism and the practicality in your place.
Let’s go <3
I dream of a beautiful wood desk looking out a window where I see a lake over which hangs mist. One day. In the meantime, that space exists within, and I can go there to write as much as I want, no matter what’s around me. My try space is the page. Where is irrelevant, the cost of becoming anchored it too high.
Where the lights are…
Bring songs to life involves a number of electrified items that all have status lamps – amps, pedals, mics, tuners, interfaces etc etc. When I get all the devices heated up and glowing, I know I am on another plane.
My writing pace (since Covid) is the passenger seat of my car, usually parked in a corner of a cemetery. It’s quiet as hell – no distractions. And stories abound around me.
love that image Tom!
Agreed in all respects. When I’m in my woodshop the time goes by much faster it seems and I don’t notice it at all. I love the feeling of being there. Takes away all the work stuff I do elsewhere.
BE Well
Chuck
Hear hear — and a shout-out to the humble basement or garage workshop, where informal and amateur creativity reign, all the tools in their place on a pegboard (or French cleats for the pro). “Where Men Create”. (Women too!)
A question for Brian and Sensei Steve: I remembered something from a distant past which seems relevant to everything here, but I’m having trouble assigning the key role. Scene: park where the ROTC unit is running. One of the freshmen midshipmen is running along the path when the major runs up and trots beside him. “Good morning, Major”. The major nods a greeting, then suddenly plows into the mid, knocking him off the trail and into the weeds. The mid manages to keep his balance, runs back onto the path, catches up to the major, and then knocks him off the path. Then: “Oh crap, what’s the MAJOR, what did I do???” The major recovers, runs back alongside the now-terrified mid, nods and says “Excellent”, and runs on ahead. He wanted us to be assertive, even aggressive, and that mid passed the test.
So: is the major here Resistance, knocking us off our trail, to see if we have the gumption to get back on?
Or is that the role of the Muse? Or are knocking us off and approving when we return two separate roles?
Dang it. “THAT’s the Major…”
Hello Steven, Glad to see you feature this book, and the concept of “sacred space”. I am a visual artist of many years and have had “sacred spaces”- studios in a master bedroom closet, partial garage, full 2 space garages, rooms in apartments etc. I have also created sacred spaces on vacations/travelling via meditations etc. This is so important because sometimes artists and folks wanting to create think an actual physical space is necessary and therefore create roadblocks for themselves.
Cathy Breslaw
@cathybreslaw (Instagram)
cathybreslaw.com (website)
Thank you Mr. Pressfield.
So glad you have clutter, Steve. Good for you!!
Thanks for the sense of space you created in that post, Steve. My office is a ’66 Airstream, mostly refurbished, and a snug cocoon to write, daydream, nap and think. And now I am inclined to think of it as sacred.
I’m here, Steve. Just so much going on. I keep my sacred space daily. Just seems to be very little time to produce anything. Must trust.
That is so beautiful, and so true, by reading this I just slowed down my breath got deeper and I can feel my ass on the chair, xoxoxox
I’ve heard all my life that work is its own reward, and it’s true – once I’m in the zone, I’m oblivious to my surroundings, lost in and fed by my work. The difficulty is getting there, right?
I’m an editor, writer, and watercolorist – very different activities that excite different parts of my brain and spirit. I’ve found that I have different needs to approach the zone in each.
To edit, I simply need to have a pencil and an open notebook next to my keyboard – and a clear desk otherwise (I’m distractable). I set the stage the night before, and when I return there is no reason not to start “right now.” That is my usual form of resistance – something I need to do “first” – so I get my tea before I go to my desk, too.
To write fiction I’m more kinetic and I like to make models of some sort – paper mache landscapes, balsa buildings, or sometimes simply maps spread over marbles or whatnot for topography – anything to help me really see. I’ve developed whole stories while making a physical landscape – the time and effort is certainly not wasted. And I’ve found that the Muse cannot resist my little models.
Writing non-fiction is different and I’m still looking for a lure for that.
Watercolor isn’t an activity I can dabble in, it is an all-out commitment that takes gobs of time. There may be the occasional fun quickie, but it’s more likely to demand the whole Kamasutra, so starting a new painting is an undertaking not taken lightly and I feel a Great Deal of Resistance before each one. This is the work that benefits the most from a prepared space – not my whole studio, just my actual painting space.
If I create the perfect studio, beautiful and rich and significant – all of my creativity gets caught up in enriching my studio (and buying more paint and supplies!) So I have become extremely utilitarian in my studio, organized and functional (which is totally UNnatural for me – but it works). My Sacred Space is my painting surface, about 6 cubic feet of delicately prepared allure.
It must be cleared of anything extra, and must have everything necessary in its proper place: paints, pallette, brushes, . It won’t stay that way, of course, but I’m setting a trap, removing all aids to resistance. Finally I lay the bait.
The hardest part is the first brushstroke, the first word, the first cut, right? So that’s my bait. Watercolor paper has sizing that must be “broken” with water first or the paint can behave strangely when first applied. So, I break the sizing at the sink, then spread it out onto my glass surface. Or I tape it to my board and break the sizing with a brush. And walk away – the trap is set.
Unlike setting a trap while the bird watches, a trap I’ve set to catch myself is alluring, and becomes MORE irresistible with time. My back brain has already begun composition, possible color mixes, Easter egg ideas (if you know, you know) while i was setting the trap. Soon I find myself clearing my schedule, and then, one day, I just make my tea and walk into the studio instead of to my desk.
We’re all different in what draws us in, what makes that delightful cocoon that fits us just right and enables us to ignore the screechings of resistance and hear the dulcet tones of our Muse in that sacred space. It was a surprise to me when I realized that what worked for one task didn’t necessarily work for another. That may be true for you, too. I’m pretty sure, though, that the more creative the work, the more creative the bait will need to be.
Shoot. I wish posts could be edited. Too late I realized I’d posted it un-proofed! :/
I’ve heard all my life that work is its own reward, and it’s true – once I’m in the zone, I’m oblivious to my surroundings, lost in and fed by my work. The difficulty is getting there, right?
I’m an editor, writer, and watercolorist – very different activities that excite different parts of my brain and spirit. I’ve found that I have different needs to approach the zone in each.
To edit, I simply need to have a pencil and an open notebook next to my keyboard – and a clear desk otherwise (I’m distractable). I set the stage the night before, and when I return there is no reason not to start “right now.” That is my usual form of resistance – something I need to do “first” – so I get my tea before I go to my desk, too.
To write fiction I’m more kinetic and I like to make models of some sort – paper mache landscapes, balsa buildings, or sometimes simply maps spread over marbles or whatnot for topography – anything to help me really see. I’ve developed whole stories while making a physical landscape – the time and effort is certainly not wasted. And I’ve found that the Muse cannot resist my little models.
Writing non-fiction is different and I’m still looking for a lure for that.
Watercolor isn’t an activity I can dabble in, it is an all-out commitment that takes gobs of time. There may be the occasional fun quickie, but it’s more likely to demand the whole Kamasutra, so starting a new painting is an undertaking not taken lightly and I feel a Great Deal of Resistance before each one. This is the work that benefits the most from a prepared space – not my whole studio, just my actual painting space.
If I create the perfect studio, beautiful and rich and significant – all of my creativity gets caught up in enriching my studio (and buying more paint and supplies!) So I have become extremely utilitarian in my studio, organized and functional (which is totally UNnatural for me – but it works). My Sacred Space is my painting surface, about 6 cubic feet of delicately prepared allure.
It must be cleared of anything extra, and must have everything necessary in its proper place: paints, pallette, brushes, water. It won’t stay that way, of course, but I’m setting a trap, removing all aids to resistance. Finally I lay the bait.
The hardest part is always the first brushstroke, the first word, the first cut, right? So that’s my bait. Watercolor paper has sizing that must be “broken” with water first or the paint can behave strangely when first applied. So, I break the sizing at the sink, then spread it out onto my glass surface. Or I tape it to my board and break the sizing with a brush. I lay my wash brush next to the paper – and walk away. The trap is set.
Unlike setting a trap while the bird watches, a trap I’ve set to catch myself is alluring, and becomes MORE irresistible with time. My back brain has already begun composition, possible color mixes, Easter egg ideas (if you know, you know) while I was setting the trap. Soon I find myself clearing my schedule, and then, one day, I just make my tea and walk into the studio instead of to my desk – the first wash goes on like like a wave of joy.
We’re all different in what draws us in, what makes that delightful cocoon that fits us just right and enables us to ignore the screechings of resistance and hear the dulcet tones of our Muse in that sacred space. It was a surprise to me when I realized that what worked for one task didn’t necessarily work for another. That may be true for you, too. I’m pretty sure, though, that the more creative the work, the more creative the bait will need to be.
Indeed! . In a healthy space, one is also able to be intensely present without the need to attach oneself to a particular outcome. The space then becomes a state of being. The flow state.
What a beautiful reminder to create a space and care for that space. Thank you.
Wow. Great thoughts and comments this week. This idea about “the space of creation” brings to minds two things.
1) “The Writer’s Desk,” by Jill Krementz (https://archive.org/details/writersdesk0000krem/mode/2up). Photos of writers at their stations — standing, sitting, lying down — along with a paragraph or two with their thoughts on writing and their creative spaces. Amy Tan, Susan Sontag, Dorothy West, Joan Didion, Eudora Welty, Rita Dove, Joyce Carol Oates. There’s men in there, too.
2) What Joseph Campbell had to say in “The Power of Myth”:
“You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”
Excuse typos!
I’m about halfway through an entire rework of my space. I pulled everything out and I’m slowly restoring what needs to stay, and saying goodbye to what doesn’t. This post hit me right where I am today.
Well said. I read this after my latest writing session. My desk is messy, but functional. I know where everything is. Thank you for another dose of inspiration.
Sacred space. Yes!
Because we have moved a lot, many times my best space was the kitchen table, or in good weather, a picnic table outdoors with a mama deer staring at me. But some decades ago, I designed my perfect space within an addition we were putting on our house. Because I write historical fiction, I furnished it with furniture from by-gone eras. I painted the walls forest green, and put in book shelves to the ceiling. I miss that room. I loved that space and wrote my best play there.
At the time I had another space, a small utilitarian office stuck in a corner elsewhere in the house that I used for schedules, household business, grocery lists, kids’ report cards, social correspondence, etc. I think it was separating these functions away from my much-loved forest green sacred space that made the play I wrote there so successful. I had not thought about it that way before.
Thank you again, Steve.
Beautiful. The Muse is proud!
I’ve moved 8 times in the last 18 years – I lose count these days, that number is probably off. There is one constant – my writing space mucn like the writer who commented above. On the moves that the writing space never materialized, I knew a part of me was always missing. My creative space takes time to set it up, it bothers me until I do. I might move the desk around the house a few times until it feels right. I ache when it is not ready because I know it is my magic, breathing space. When I finally set up, I sit down to write and it is the time I know the move is over. My space is a refuge from the world. It is a smell of catching rays candles, a feeling of coziness, and a familiarity- it feels like a second kind of home, a home for my inspiration. It moves and it changes- sometimes it is a corner white desk with a purple apple and kids clutter, a shared work area with signs of my mom life and I love it. Other times it is an old brown desk with a glass lamp and a typewriter facing a backyard window. Sometimes it is a tiny little table pushed into a corner with a laptop in my master bedroom. And sometimes when I am lucky it is in seperate office with white framed windows, but facing a wall. When I am less lucky it is a pad and pen tucked into my nightstand. All the same, the space is my own and it calls to me. When I sit there I go anywhere and everywhere for a moment.
Absolutely resonated with the idea that ‘A Practice Has a Space.’ This blog beautifully articulates the significance of carving out a dedicated space for our practices, be it meditation, creativity, or self-reflection. It’s a gentle reminder of how creating a sacred space enhances the depth and quality of our experiences. I’m inspired to rethink and redesign my own practice space for a more mindful and intentional journey. Thank you for this thoughtful piece!
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This blog truly struck a chord with me! The concept of ‘A Practice Has a Space’ resonates deeply. It’s a profound reminder of the importance of cultivating dedicated spaces for our endeavors, whether it’s meditation, creativity, or self-reflection. Creating a sacred space adds a layer of intentionality and depth to our experiences, enriching our journey. I’m genuinely inspired to reevaluate and redesign my own practice space, infusing it with mindfulness and purpose. Thank you for this insightful piece.