📝 Rooms of Their Own
Creative spaces and practices of some of the most celebrated writers
‘Writers like ceremonies. (…) But perhaps the most important of all is the commute, the ritual of going to a special place to write. (…) There is something fascinating to be experienced in the room where it happened, (…) the atmosphere they created that in turn helped them create.’ - Alex Johnson, ‘Rooms of Their Own’
A very enjoyable book I recently read is ‘Rooms of Their Own’, written by Alex Johnson and beautifully illustrated by James Oses. This book glimpses at the different rooms where some of the most celebrated writers of the past century found their personal spaces to create.
These are some of the creative practices, rituals, and habits from the book that I believe, as artists and designers, will help us find inspiration in our own creative practice:
1
Create your own sacred space or find that room where you feel comfortable and inspired to work every day.
It could be your own room, cafes, or trains, but all the descriptions in the book coincide: writers make these spaces their own. Pay attention to the details: the comfort of your desk, little mementos that trigger imagination, art, and books that inspire you…
Sometimes the most important thing about a writer’s room is not the space itself but what it looks out on.
Most of the rooms described in the book had a view overlooking the street, a garden, or a natural space. A window with a framed view is helpful for resting the mind and eyes, and for taking breaks. It helps to daydream and visualise.
2
Set up your own routine and stick to it. Be disciplined with your creative practice.
First, know yourself: are you a morning person or an evening person? Most writers from the book start early in the morning and work until the afternoon. They set up their most convenient and productive schedule and follow it with iron discipline.
Some of them set up daily definite goals for each writing session, such as the number of words or pages (this brings the enormous task of writing a book down to manageable outcomes). Some others perform little rituals that help them get into the mood for writing, or review the notes they took the day before.
[Stephen] King is aiming for conditions conducive to what he describes as ‘creative sleep’, with the repetitive element as a kind of rite which prepares you for the ceremony of writing in the same way that your routine of going to bed helps you get ready for sleep.
3
Combine creative practices with other repetitive and/or physical activities.
Generally, in Architecture Schools, there is the wrong belief that the more hours and dedication a student spends exclusively sitting and designing at their desk, the better their project will turn out to be. This is so wrong. We do need to put in the work (not the hours - I’ll talk another time about working smart rather than hard), but to not burn out it is equally important to create healthy habits that improve our creativity - and our lives.
Julia Cameron talks about ‘filling the well’ in ‘The Artist’s Way’ as a way to refresh our imagery of references. However, contrary to common belief, monotonous and repetitive activities such as walking, cleaning, taking a shower, etc., can be an excellent way to rest the brain from the creative task whilst setting up a relaxed mindset that allows creativity to flourish spontaneously.
The best time for planning a book is doing the dishes. - Agatha Christie
Most of the practices described in the book also involve combining a writing schedule with some sort of light exercise, mainly walking and swimming. This has enormous benefits, not only creatively - notice certain exercises can also be repetitive and monotonous ways of resting the mind - but also for our well-being and general health as we engage with our bodies and connect with nature.
Happy body, happy mind, happy creative!
These are all very personal practices and spaces - what works for some writers doesn’t work for others. But I personally find it fascinating to read and learn about the small everyday routines and rituals in which creative minds perform.
This constitutes the research to design my own.
💫✏️
Happy sketching!
Ana
What creative practices have helped you in your journey? It would be great to hear about it! Please, leave a comment and share your thoughts down below :)