Creating The Mood For Writing What You Love

Where do you love to write? Let’s talk about the creating the mood for writing what you love–in other words, the space, place, mood, and atmosphere that inspires you most.

Our lives consist of so many moods and spaces: modern and contemporary, dark and romantic, boho and relaxing, natural and flowing, green plants and windows, bright and sunny, rustic wood, minimal and white, cozy and pink, colourful, open and spacious, book shelves and fire places, cushions and faux fur blankets sprawled everywhere, candles and journals and sweet laced paper, and so much more. Which one sound most like you?

And in what location do you write best? Indoors? Outdoors on the deck or by lake? On the front or back porch in wicker or a porch swing? Downtown in a café? Away for a week at a retreat cabin? Maybe a place with large windows while the rain is pouring down?

Recently, I asked some writers and bloggers where they love to write, and their answers were all so beautifully unique and different. I say beautifully because when we can recognize the spaces and places that inspire our writing, we are over the first hurdle: feeling motivated to sit down to write.

Mood, atmostphere, space, place–these all matter a great deal when you are working on a writing project, or even more, starting one. And the hardest part is that when we finally find the space that works for our writing, it can completely change throughout the day. Sometimes I love writing at my upstairs desk with my dog sleeping on her bed beside me; the next thing I know I am restless and my creative juices have completely stopped flowing. Changing to a space in my living room by the window re-energizes my writing, sometimes with a tea or hot chocolate depending on the season. Later, it’s my favourite writing Café downtown, with the social buzz a lovely white noise in the background. Then the backyard in spring, summer, and fall, under trees and sunshine, and then back to my upstairs desk. And so forth.

The place you choose to write matters. A lot. It needs to reflect you, help you feel at ease and at home within yourself. Maybe it’s simple and spacious and open. Maybe you’ve added trinkets and pillows and framed photographs that reflect what and who you love in your life. Maybe a soft lamp with a candle. If you are not happy in your space, if it doesn’t feel right, if it’s boring you or burdening you, something needs to change. And while some people say that a messy space reflects brilliance, I think most of us work best in a space that is tidy and uncluttered.

Have a look at the photos below. very different writing spaces. Which one do you love best? Let me know in the comments, and start creating your writing space today. It doesn’t have to be the one you use every time you write, but it does need to feel like the writing home you can fall back on, anytime you need to be reminded of how much you love and take comfort in writing.

Your challenge today? Look at the photos below. Then, look at more writing space photos online to find the kind of space in which you can write what you love. Create a mood board if it helps. Start planning and making a space where you love to write. It doesn’t have to be large. It could just be a small window space with a chair. It could be a desk under your window. It could be a bench surrounded by flowers on your deck.

As long as it’s yours, and you can easily reflect and write in your notebook, and feel at home in this space, and feel like you, then I’d say you are on the right track, and will be so much more motivated to begin.

And finally, good luck. May you be blessed in creating the mood for writing what you love.