A Change of Scenery (or: How to Do All the Things When You Have None of the Time)

I wish I had an office. I wish I had a room that I could furnish, decorate, and dedicate to the sole task of writing and getting other creative-ish work done in. More than that, I often wish (like, every day) that I could just stay home and dedicate all of my time to doing creative-ish work, to starting and finishing all the projects my little heart desires to create.

Unfortunately, that is not the reality of my life. I've got bills to pay, and my creative projects aren't currently paying them. I need to work, and with school on top of that for half the year, I don't often find myself in a position to spend all day being creative at home. I'm constantly on the go, from Point A to Point B.

And yet, here I am--my 12th straight update, on schedule. (Kind of? It's still Friday if I haven't gone to bed, right?) Four straight weeks of Monday-Wednesday-Friday updates, with only a couple that were uploaded later than my 4pm goal time. Maybe it's because it's summer, but I'm kicking ass on the blogging scene regardless, with more behind the scenes work done on top of that.

I'm not stupid. I know I'm probably jinxing it right now. But let me fill you in on the secret to my competence--Starbucks.

(I am not sponsered by Starbucks but I would like to point out that I'm a poor college student and would definitely not turn down any money.)

Kay but actually. In the last few weeks, I've been spending a little bit more time at Starbucks than normal, which--shockingly enough--has lead to an astounding amount of productivity on my part. I've drafted blogs multiple weeks in advance, my uploads are getting scheduled for 4 PM more often now than ever, and I'm pouring my blood, sweat, tears, and heart into this blog more than I ever have before. The productivity that encompasses me in the coffee shop is spilling over to the rest of my day, as I finish up a post at work, stay up late to finish other creative projects, and focus more and more time into my stories every day.

So that's the secret, short and sweet: a change in scenery. A refreshing alteration to your daily habits and routines. Something to make things interesting.

The best office you can have is your mindset. The best place to be creative is wherever you are in the moment. Sometimes it's easy to forget that, and it's definitely easy to put everything off until you have that special place--but there's no saying that special place can't be the Blogger app on your iPad.


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