No matter who you are, everyone needs some personal space. For some it's simply a place to go and relax and get away from the world. For others it's somewhere that they can get work/play done without interruptions or distractions. Regardless of the reasons behind it, everyone needs somewhere to retreat to.
This had become very apparent to me last week when my children were home from school. Instead of just having Thanksgiving and the day after off, they had the ENTIRE week! Normally that's not too much of a cause for alarm. I love my children and really don't mind their being home from school. But, when I have a project I'm working on it's not as wonderful.
I need my own space. Somewhere in this house there needs to be a spot where I can go and shut out all the noise. Because not only were the children home from school, my husband also had a 4 day weekend. I tried to write and wound up frustrated instead.
The issue is simple. The family computer (and the only computer in the house that's still working) is in-between the dining room and living room, and also between the kitchen and the door to the back yard, there is no way to escape the commotion that comes with a full house like mine.
The dogs were barking, the kids were yelling/playing/fighting/being goofs, and my husband was watching TV or yelling at the children to behave. I would literally write perhaps a sentence before someone would come up to me to ask a question (hubby included). I would constantly lose my train of thought from the noise in the living room. The TV is visible from where I sit, and my husband likes to watch interesting shows. So, more often than not I would glance over at the TV and totally forget about the story. Needless to say, it was very difficult to stay on track.
The thing is, I do have my own space....sort of. My husband and I share the garage. On one half is his work bench and tools. On the other half is a couch and my easels. So, on Saturday I grabbed my pen and some paper and went into the garage to write. It worked, but that's not the point of this post. The point is that like everyone else, I crave my own personal space to work in.
I've decided that I'm going to take over that area of the garage. I'm going to decorate it and make it my own. I feel that once I get the area looking pleasant then I will feel better about working in there, both with my art and my writing. Before it had been a hang out area. Now it's going to be somewhere for me to retreat to.
I think this is something that everyone should do. Go around your home and property to find an area that you can call your own. Find a way to decorate it so that the area reflects your unique and special personality. I know all too well that some homes are very small and so there isn't much space that you can call your own. However, with a little creativity you can turn any such area into a beautiful expression of who you are and an important spot for you to retreat to when needed.
After all, someone once told me that they want to use a corner of their bedroom closet to make such a space (that conversation sparked the idea for this post). A little light, some pillows, and a curtain would give her a spot she can enjoy herself in.
My question to you, dear readers, is what sort of place in your home do you use for your personal space? If you don't have one, then what area do you think would work? Don't forget, you can even write about your dream space. :)
Just keep writing...
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