Sometimes you need a change of scenery, even if you protested that change several times in the past. I had set my office up in a small spare bedroom, it was cozy, quaint (tiny), and it worked for me. It was my space and I could hide away in there for hours working. My husband had suggested several times that I move into the larger back room ?it was tempting, but it would mean sharing. I like to have my peace while I work, though time proved that my cozy office wasn’t so quiet. My husband disliked the back room and relocated his office to the kitchen table. Which meant whether he was working or relaxing with the TV on all the sound tunneled into my office.

I finally gave in. I moved my office into the back room and moved some of his gear into the cozy office. At the moment, while I sit in the disaster of my new office because I haven’t had the time to finish organizing, I wonder how it’s all going to come together. There is more room for my dogs to relax and lay with me here?and maybe I could even fit a reading chair or couch.

It was tough to give up my space though, even when my new space came with many perks: better light, more space, quieter. There was something about my cozy office that meant nothing else could get thrown in. It was for creative work only (bookkeeping stayed in the back) and now I am sharing my creative workspace with my not-so-creative-work space.

Maybe we all get a bit too stubborn for our own good. And though my legs were sore from doing hours of squats while moving my library of books, I now think this move is for the best. It is a space where I have room to breathe, I have lots of natural light coming in the large windows, and a view of more than just my dogs staring at me through the window?whining until I let them in. From these windows, I can see the mountains, the trees, and not just the neighbours fence and our shop.

Having a fresh space can do wonders for rejuvenating work, for refreshing our eyes, and inspiring new ideas. Sometimes just changing the existing space is enough to reignite some of the passion. After I finished my undergraduate degree I revamped my cozy office. I took the large desk that collected clutter (aka “research”) and replaced it with something much smaller. I reorganized my shelves and put my desk in the middle of the room. This small change made me feel like I was starting a new chapter, my old set up was the student set up and now I could set up for the creative work?a small desk means less clutter.

Even if you only have a small corner of the room to work in, to call your own, it is important to make that space productive for you. To not be afraid to change it up over the months when it stops working. Having a space that feels comfortable and where you can focus is important. Having things surrounding you that inspire you?or if you prefer minimalism, having blank space?then that’s what you should have. I have found that doing these changes, keeping things fresh, and keeping the room comfortable, triggers something: walking into that space my mind clicks over to the desired task and everything flows much easier. It is like having a playlist for working, as soon as the first song starts, your mind engages and focuses on the task at hand.

So, even though my current office looks like a storm ripped through it, it will, with time, become my space. And until then, I am relishing in the quiet, the light, and the new space for me to work, where the dogs can come and say hi without knocking my desk and sending drinks teetering dangerously close to my computer.

Deanna Roney is an AU student who loves adventure in life and literature. Follow her path on the writing journey at https://deannaroney.wordpress.com/