Where Do You Bloom Best?

This morning I’m thinking about one of the most valuable and important tools I’m developing through my exercise of writing daily, and that is discovering what conditions I work in best. In the spirit of that, I’ve created my list and maybe it will give you a few ideas for your own space to create and thrive in;

For me;

• Getting up before anyone else. I NEED quiet to be creative in this way. I know a lot of people who can do background noise like talking or music, and actually prefer it to quiet, but not me. And so I get up at 5am now. I need to hear my soul talking to me. This point of needing the solitude to produce could signal an imbalance that might be worth me paying attention to. Some of that heart disruption is expected of course, having kids and a partner. But some of it could be self-imposed feelings of obligated people pleasing, or not setting proper boundaries, underlining a struggle to focus, or something else entirely. So...I'm paying attention now…
• Not too much chaos and clutter, but some creative chaos. A little creative chaos actually helps my brain be creative when I’m writing. What I mean is having a scattering of work notes, my laptop, day planner, etc. but then also items that are inspiring me right now and add to my comfort; my favorite notebook, an old hourglass, a candle, and a book I find inspiring these days.
• Comfort. I never realized how much Hygge has influenced my life until I discovered what it was. (I’ll get into that concept in another post, but just know it focuses around comfort and coziness :) I have the blanket Gramma made me at the ready. The hour glass I mentioned that I found in a thrift shop. It feels so calming, comforting, and back to basics - simple. Normally clocks in my immediate surrounding do the opposite for me but an hour glass is wonderful. And when Henry runs in asking to watch TV I can tell him in 15 minutes when the sand runs out that he can watch then. It’s great. He can actually SEE when that happens or how much sand is left and it’s a great learning experience for him and frees me from the constant “now, mom?”. The hourglass looks ancient and feels alchemical. And alchemy feels like a great fit for moments of pouring out words in the hopes of creating something beautiful and worthy of another’s time and attention.
• Having water beside me, but not food. Food is a distraction. Water is important for survival and thriving and proper bodily function. 
• Having a big window looking out into nature. I don’t think I’m alone in this one. I glean so much inspiration from nature. I feel it as a part of me and me a part of it, and that brings me inspiration. If the window faces east to the rising sun, even better. 
• A candle is a bonus even though I don’t light it. I like just knowing that if I wanted to I could. Candles are comforting and romantic. Their vibe feels good. 
• Using my phone instead of my laptop. My phone feels easy, comfortable, no pressure. I can sit in a comfy chair while I use it. But a laptop feels a bit too formal for me. And formalities are NOT my thing. Especially when it comes to being creative. Not to mention how rigid you have to be to sit at a table to type. I know it’s called a laptop for a reason, but I have a hard time wanting to have it actually sitting on my body. I don’t like the way it feels. Maybe someday, though, I’ll experiment with having it sit on something on my lap and see how that goes. But I like writing on my phone in Notes. Clean, easy, simple. And I’m pretty fast at typing with my thumbs :)

Knowing your own psychology is important with this exercise. And fascinating too. Knowing why we need things or do things so we can support or adjust where it might be important or more appropriate. I know I’ve really benefitted from analyzing my ideal growing conditions! 

Where do you bloom best? What growing conditions foster that for you? And most importantly, how can you create that for yourself?

Maybe it’s your time to rise and shine too :)