Writers' keepers

(Originally posted on February 12, 2005.)

I call it a desk, but it's really just a Queen Anne writing table with one shallow drawer in the middle. The drawer pull is antiqued brass, in the shape of a teacup, and when I lean forward, the pesky thing digs into my belly.

Of course, if I sat up straight instead of slumping, that wouldn't be a problem.

Let's open the drawer: It's lined with the same rose-patterened, scented paper from Crabtree & Evelyn that I have used to cover the bulletin board here in my home office. I enjoy seeing the little pink roses peep at me from between all of the useful items in the drawer.

Here's what I'm looking at right now:

Two espresso-flavored chocolate truffles (which won't be there
much longer).

Three small bottles of soap bubbles. (Wonderfully conducive
to daydreaming, the bubbles were favors from weddings we
attended last summer.)

A tablet of pink, heart-shaped Post-it notes and a handful of
colorful paperclips on a bone-china saucer.

A small stack of paper napkins in a beautiful floral pattern (to
park under the occasional shortbread cookie that finds its way
to my desk at teatime).

A rose-scented votive candle. (Makes the drawer smell
pretty.)

A tube of Crabtree & Evelyn's rose-scented hand cream. (Are
you seeing a pattern here? Yes, I'm crazy in love with roses.)

A ballpoint pen disguised as a lipstick. (Every romance writer
needs one!)

A slender case containing a pair of red-framed reading glasses,
in case I get old suddenly. (I've tried them, but don't need
them quite yet.)

A sparkly, egg-size chip of granite from the summit of Mt.
Owens in Colorado.

The usual assortment of pens; scissors, tape, calculator,
stapler.

A stack of pretty notecards.

Several packets of Crest White Strips, which I keep forgetting
to use. . .obviously.

. . .and lots of other odds and ends.

Why am I sharing this? Because I want to give you a tip. Whether you're working downtown or at home, try to surround yourself with little things that give you a lift; things that make you remember your blessings. Just carve out a bit of space, even if it's just a desk drawer, and make it uniquely your own, filling it with any little thing that makes you smile. I believe personalizing our spaces in this way can't fail to feed our imaginations and aid the creative process.

Maybe some of you would like to share what you have done to make your own spaces -- even the tiniest ones, like desk drawers -- cheer you up and encourage your imagination to run free.