Monday 1 April 2013

Create your own space

I would like to thank fellow blogger Linda for inspiring me to write this post.  She gave her own post the title Find your sacred space, and I hope that you will read her thoughts on the subject too.

"Doing your own thing" is probably a more accurate summary of my own thoughts, however the title above is an indirect reference to CreateSpace, which allowed me to self-publish a revised version of my book "Retiring the Ole Way" after my original publisher decided to stop handling expat titles.

My "thing", clearly, is creative writing and I do have my own physical space for writing, which is where I am sitting now. However other writers will know what I mean when I say that, even when I'm not sitting in front of a PC or holding a pen in my hand, I am creating characters and plots in my head. I don't really need my own space to create, though it is good discipline as a writer to have somewhere to sit down and write and to do so on a regular basis.

My husband John has his own space too - sitting in his chair watching football on Spanish TV or encouraging fellow Scot Andy Murray, as he was doing yesterday!  However he isn't a couch potato, as he also enjoys walking our dog Lisa in the countryside near our house, which gives him some time on his own as well as keeping him fit.

We are both retired so spend most of the day together as do other retired couples, and fortunately we have many shared interests. However I think a sign of a healthy relationship is to enjoy doing your own thing as well and encouraging each other in your separate activities.  I love dancing, so I often put on a Zumba DVD while John is out with Lisa, plus I go to a Sevillanas class with my friend Juana María once a week.

It is easy to see which space is mine and which space is John's when you look into our bedroom. John's bedside table is fairly uncluttered, with a few manly toiletries, a watch and a rugby souvenir that his son gave him.  Mine is crammed full of female toiletries, a silver box with rings in it, a mug stand with my necklaces hanging from it and a pretty box containing the rest of my jewellery.  I guess the space we each have in the bedroom is a good reflection of our individual personalities.

My jewellery box
Do you have your own space?  Some place where you can be yourself and do whatever you enjoy, whether it is writing, reading, painting, sewing, watching sport, listening to music or something completely different. If not, why don't you create one now?





7 comments:

  1. As a writer, having a "sacred space" helps me so much! Many years, as a busy young mom, my own private space was the floor of my closet - and I loved it!

    I love to create my own space - whether entirely private and secluded or out in the open. My goal - one day! - is to have a backyard yurt, to feel more outdoors...

    What a delightful topic, Sue!

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  2. Thanks, Susan. Years ago I did wonder whether I could make the garden shed my private writing space, but I was put off by the lawn mower, garden tools and spiders that were also vying for space! I hope that you get your yurt!

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  3. Lovely topic Sue. For many years I have allowed myself personal me-time on a daily basis to help maintain a healthy life balance, but only now am I in the process of creating my-space. Normally I am sharing space with others, a tv, a laundry line and trying to focus, but finally I have an unused area of the house we are converting to my-space where I will have the comfort of soft chairs to relax or my desk to work at. Where I will have my books around me but not a pile of ironing breaking into my focus. I will have the luxury of french doors to open to enjoy the fresh air and internal doors to close out the rest of the house. Finally I will have an area that is not multi-functional, not a desk stuck in the corner of a store room. A properly created area that will be just mine... I feel very lucky and excited. Finally, I will no longer have an excuse to put off starting that project I have talked about for several years.

    And stage 1 started today... I have bought the website...

    Stage 2 is in progress... developing the holding page.

    All because I finally have a little part of this planet that will be my space.

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  4. Thanks for sharing this topic. Do I have a sapce? Maybe when I'm alone at home or locked away in front of the computer. I will try to develop my own space taking your advise on board.

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  5. Jacqui, I'm intrigued by the sound of your project and also excited for you, now that you have the chance to start it in your own space. I look forward to hearing more!

    Yetunde, good luck with developing your own space. Let me know how you get on!

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  6. Holding pages all completed, as soon as I launch the website live I will send you a link. Life is so exciting!

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