Writers spend a lot of time in the confines of their offices. Many of our home offices seem drab and uninviting. Most office spaces consist of a desk and computer and drab-colored walls unless we spice things up. This drab environment may even discourage writers from getting to their desks. It is, therefore, important for writers to take the time to personalize their writing space by adding colours, sounds and scents which will be inviting and calming. It is fairly easy to produce such a comfortable and productive workspace with just a few easy steps. 1. Place personal photos of your family members on your desk. 2. Paint your office in one of your favorite colours. I love lavender. It is soothing and I feel productive when I enter my office. 3. Put some wallpaper or borders on one or two walls of your office. This will help make your office really pretty. 4. Add a touch of class to the windows by putting up colourful curtains and blinds. You want to be able to control the amount of light and noise that comes into your office from the outside. 5. Position your desk so that it has a wonderful view. By doing this, you could take a refocus break once in a while by looking out your window. 6. Choose some of your favorite CDs and have them available as background music. Mozart is my favorite. Experiment a bit in order to find the music you feel most productive with. 7. Choose some of your favorite scented candles and place them in your office. I use a lot of soothing lavender as it is my favorite scent. 8. Don’t allow yourself to have any toxic feelings or emotions when you come into your office. Simply think of pleasant and positive thoughts as you sit down to write. 9. Don’t have a phone in your office if you can avoid it. Instead, use a cordless phone when you get out of your office. 10. Have a screen saver with photos of fun family events. This way, when you take a pause from your work, you’ll be able to remember these fun events. By setting up your office as a place of refuge and sanctuary, you will be very productive and happy when you enter your sacred space to do your daily writing. Your office is really that important to your success and happiness as a writer. So take a few minutes to look around your office right now and take steps to make it as pleasant and productive as possible. Until next time! Irene S. Roth