This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
I pay a lot of attention to what surrounds me on a daily basis — does it spark joy? does it make me feel cluttered or peaceful? does it work well, or am I always fumbling for the right implement at the right time? is it conducive to or restrictive of my creative faculties?
A few items I love to keep close at hand throughout my work day —
+Clear lucite frames with important photographs and drawings from my children. Roots and branches!
+Biblical inspiration cards from Camilla Moss. I will occasionally glaze over and find my eyes settling on these cards. Always ground and reframe.
+A tall water bottle. I have been known to get so engrossed in my writing that I will not break to get water, use the rest room, etc! Sometimes I’m too focused. I have learned I need to have a full water bottle next to me a the start of any work session.
+A julep cup full of pens, sharpies, and scissors.
+My trusty daily planner, a task notebook for list-making, and a notebook for hand-drafting.
+A ceramic blade mini boxcutter (my exact style sold out, similar here). I open a lot of boxes and this has made that part of my life so, so much easier.
+My noise canceling headphones. Love love love. I keep them on this stand when not in use.
Tapping this list out, I am reminded of a very handy exercise I try to take on once or twice a year —
“Sit down for a second and think through your day, hour by hour. What petty frustrations bother you over and over again? Small things like coffee consistently not being hot, or phone running out of battery by 4 p.m., or having to prep your children’s lunch at 10 p.m when you’re ready for bed, or having a charger that is too short for you to use your phone in your bed. Write them out. Then, devise solutions for each. I think you will be surprised at how small grievances can pile up and create a kind of background “noise” that no one needs, and that many of these petty frustrations can be addressed rather simply.”
A few other recent desktop / office finds to consider…
A SMALL, CLEAR COSMETIC BAG TO KEEP LIP GLOSSES / HAND CREAMS / ETC ORGANIZED AN IN ONE PLACE
BINS FOR BULKIER GEAR
LETTER TRAYS TO STOW IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS OR PAPERWORK YOU HAVE TO ATTEND TO AT SOME POINT (I’M IMAGINING TOP TIER FOR “THIS WEEK’S WORK” / BOTTOM TIER FOR LONGER TERM
PLASTIC ENVELOPES — LOVE THESE FOR KEEPING SETS OF PAPERWORK SEPARATE (E.G., MEDICAL FORMS, SCHOOL FORMS, RECEIPTS, ETC)
What are your workspace essentials and must-haves? How do you design a space conducive to creativity?
P.S. On creative habits.
P.P.S. On motivating myself to write every single day.
P.P.P.S. 26 letters and 14 marks.
Love this topic, and your recs are so wonderful! Ordering those gridded sticky notes ASAP – I swear by gridded paper over lined (I also love dot paper, my preferred style for my work meeting notebooks!)
I believe you influenced my purchase of that same box cutter a few years ago – why do no others live up to it?! I got one from Slice recently and it’s the best alternate I’ve found, although I can’t get the blade to lock in the “out” position, even though the mechanism is there — annoying.
I love Moleskine’s XL weekly planner, since it has the week on the left and a notebook page on the right — perfect for keeping my rolling to-do list. I also decided to try out an Appointed planner in 2024 since this will be an incredibly busy year – and I love how I can easily visualize tasks by day!
I keep my pens in a mini wire basket from HAY that’s the perfect size — it brings me joy! And I corral lip balms, hand cream, etc. in a blue & white Japanese ceramic dish 🙂
xx
I love gridded / dotted paper, too! Hangover from my study abroad days in France.
Also intrigued by your Moleskine XL and attendant process for staying on top of things. Intrigued by that — thank you!
Oooooo I love reading about/seeing people’s workspaces, and love the exercise to think through resolving daily annoyances. I have a bulletin board behind my desk that is a catchall of memories. It keeps the doldrum of studying (I’m in my last semester of law school) a little less tedious.
So clever – love this idea! Great visual candy 🙂