Visualization

When I find myself in a bookstore--which, let's be honest, I often do--I like to mentally shelve my books. I find the E authors--there are never very many of them--and run my hands down the spines until I find where my name fits.

There. Somewhere between Emond and Everett; that's where my book would go--where it will go, someday.

It's weird, I know. But as dorky as it is, I still do it.

You know what else I do? I constantly pin pictures of home offices on Pinterest. I torture myself for days and days on end with this images of beautiful writing spaces, that I would love to incorporate into my own home but can't because I'm poor. (And also because I don't have that much space to decorate to begin with.)

I do these things frequently, for the same reasons that people make vision boards--I like to see my goals in a way that can often be difficult, because I'm not psychic, and can in no way see the future. I like to picture the way that my writing space would look like, if I had the space, time, and money decorate it as I see fit. I like to find where my name fits, because it somehow makes it more likely that it will fit. Like somehow, the spot is waiting for me, waiting for my future debut novel to slide on into the place it was always meant to be.

It works that way in reverse, too. I have hard copies of just about everything I wrote in high school--every short story, every poem, every brief excerpt of every vague novel premise I had. I keep every journal, every notebook, every scrap piece of paper I scribble on. It gets crammed into a drawer, and even though I never look at it much, it helps to have it around. For whatever reason, having this physical representation of everything I've worked towards makes it more valid. Like I've actually accomplished something, instead of screaming into the void of my own mind.

I always mean to make a vision board, I do. But it never works out--I keep putting it off, because it's too much work and I'm too lazy to set aside the time to do it. I almost don't think I will, because my goals and ambitions change so frequently that it'd be impossible to document everything accurately. I'd rather spend that extra time working towards it, and save the daydreaming for my commute. (And, okay, maybe my shift, too.)

I daydream a lot. But sometimes, it's nice to have something more concrete to look at.

Until later,

- Justyne

External Movitavtion, Part II: The Workspace

Part I: The Playlist

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If you are in pursuit of a creative career, you are going to--ideally--spend the majority of your time in some sort of designated workspace. (If not the majority, then at least a reasonably large chunk of it.) This is where you will write your first draft, your second, your third. It's where you will slave the night away, writing words that you won't even remember through the haze of sleep deprivation. This is where you will write your debut novel. This is where you will partake in a dozen NaNoWriMo's and draft a hundred query letters.

This place needs to be your home, be it your home-within-a-home or your home-away-from-home. As such, it has to be a place that not only motivates you, but inspires you to create great works of art.

You are in the midst of creating your work environment, so it is imperative that the end result is a place that you enjoy--I would even go so far as to say that it should be your FAVOURITE place!

There are two different categories that you should be thinking about whenc hoosing, designing, or redecorating your workspace--practicality and atmosphere.

Practicality is a no brainer--if you can't get any work done, it's not much of a workspace. It doesn't necessarily motivate you to get work done...it just prevents you from doing anything else.

As much as I want to skip to the atmosphere aspect of this week's topic, the practicality part is just too important to leave out. So for now, I'll leave you with a miniature preparation checklist to ensure that no distractions interfere with your motivation:

• Is there a TV in the room? Move. Now.
• Is your phone on? Turn it off and hide it in a drawer somewhere. DO NOT LET IT TEMPT YOU.
• Get off your bed. What are you even doing.
• Get off the couch, too.
• SIT AT A PROPER SURFACE IN A PROPER CHAIR
• Download this and this. And this.
• Prevent Scatterbrain Syndrom by making a To-Do list or setting a goal for your work time. SHOOT FOR THE STARS, CHILDREN.

Ok, great. All that boring stuff is out of the way--now comes the fun bit!

A couple years ago I made a Pinterest account, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was probably one of the worst things to ever happen to me, simply because it is hands down one of the most distracting websites I've ever had the misfortune of signing up for. (Yes, right up there with Tumblr.)

But at the same time, it's been great for inspiration. People pin writing tips and drawing tutorials, inspirational quotes and--probably my favourite part of this God forsaken website--home decor.

I never had a true appreciation for home decor until I found Pinterest. Bedrooms and kitchens, reading nooks and dining rooms, dens and....home offices.

The atmosphere aspect of your workspace is the most fun, the most expensive, and the trickiest. You need a workspace that is functional--organized in just the right way, with everything you need to be productive. It needs to be pretty--you're going to spend a lot of time there, so you need to want to spend a lot of time there. If it's boring or dull or ugly, you'll want to stay as far away as possible. But if it's bright and it's interesting, you'll want to spend as much time there as you can.

All the while, it can't be too distracting, because...well, you have to work sometime.

So find a space in your home, be it in your bedroom or elsewhere, and turn it into your Dream Job. Find a nice desk, as big or as small as you need, and a comfy chair. Set up your computer, or typewriter, or good 'ol fashioned pencil and notepad. Stick up a calendar with deadlines and To-Do lists, add some pretty lights and inspirational posters.

And for the love of your sanity, make sure you keep it clean.

Until later,

- Justyne

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Part III: The Role Model

Beautiful Books

(I don't care what y'all think--you can never talk about books too much. Never.)

About a year or so ago, I did the unthinkable--I created a Pinterest account.

If you have a Pinterest account, you probably get the emphasis behind the words Pinterest account. If not, well...don't get one. Seriously. Look at me. Do not get one. Your productivity and general competence at being a human being will go right down the drain, never to be seen again.

But while your future may be salvageable, my fate has already been sealed. I created my account. I have several boards on the website dedicated to several different things, from home decor to writing to Christmas treats that I will probably never get around to making ever.

My favourite board of all, though, is my books board. Because not only do books provide hours and hours of quality entertainment for little (or even nothing, thanks to the great invention that is the library), but guess what: they're also BEAUTIFUL.

(This would be the part of the blog post where I include pictures. But it's like 11 pm and I'm warm and toasty in my bed so I really can't be bothered.)

Who would've known that a stack of paper, bound together by a spine and two covers, could look so pretty? Who would've known that a complex story that keeps you entertained for days on end could double as freaking HOME DECOR? It's a wonderful thing. Shelves packed to the brim, random stacks scattered around the floor and covering every surface area...no matter how you store them, no matter how you display them, they still look beautiful.

I've always had a deep love for physical books, but that love was recently renewed after reading an ebook. I haven't read many ebooks...like, at all. The only reason I read one now was because I recently got a library card (!!) that allows me to download free ebooks for certain periods of time. When a book I intended to read wasn't available as a hard copy, I just downloaded the ebook.

Something I learned about myself: I don't enjoy reading ebooks.

I'm not even sure how to describe it, really. It wasn't as satisfying; I couldn't turn the page, or flip through the pages quickly to get a sense of how much of the story was left. I couldn't accidentally spoil myself, or smell the pages (too weird?), or hug the floppy paperback to my chest in adoration when I was finished. (Not that this was a book worthy of such an honour, of course, but can you imagine reading a Stephanie Perkins novel and not hugging it afterwards? NONSENSE.)

I never intend to buy an ereader. While I do love the idea of having my entire bookshelf tucked away in my bag, and it would most definitely make travelling a lot more convenient (no more ongoing debates of which book to bring! No more trying to shove three different books into my already-exploding suitcase! Oh, what a world that would be), ebooks just seem less...personal to me.

Plus, what would I do without a packed bookshelf full of books to stare at? Home decor, people!


Do you prefer reading physical books or ebooks? Comment below with your answer! (Participation is required. Okay, not really. But it is most definitely appreciated!)

Until later,

- Justyne