Saturday 14 May 2016

Falling into place



Floor length flowers
Hanging curtains at my flat has changed my world. A big statement I know. The curtains are a triumph of beauty over function. The flowery blossoms add warmth, light and love to the rooms. The blinds work fine, but they just aren’t that pretty. More than this, the curtains have provided me with a greater sense of privacy. I can close them against the sights and sounds of the world. Retreating to a quiet corner and keeping company with my books and craft projects.

For a short time the curtains also created chaos. I had to move the sofa from under the window. I shifted one bookcase into the hall and then had to tackle the piles of books which had accumulated nearby. This also meant looking through the stack by my bed. The coffee table has acquired some of the overflow and there has been a minor cull. A small corner is playing host to books which are on their way to being donated.

More piles
The consequence of this series of rearrangements means that I am now writing at the dining room table. The screen is perched on top of some books and my writing boxes are balanced on a chair. I have some new stationary to help me get organised, blue manilla folders, dark turquoise post it notes and green paper for ideas sketching. Do I need to admit that I chose these items to complement the curtains? I certainly didn’t want them to clash.


Cleansing time
I like my new writing space. It feels more defined. This is the place where I write. It will need to double as a dining room when friends and family come over. But the reality is that most of the time it can be my writing place. I can spread my stuff out. Put material that belongs to the same project together in a pile. There is something quite powerful in this – think on the salutary advice and inspiration of Virginia Woolf. It is all part of the enabling mechanisms. I need some constancy for my writing – a sprinkle of good habits, some solid commitment and a good dose of organisation. This all feels like very familiar territory, so what is different now? Perhaps it is simply a well-timed internal prompt to accompany the movement of scenery.

Toe dipping in waves
The ripples of change are even reaching as far as the kitchen. I sorted the tea towel collection. Some have been allocated to bathroom duties, some are on top of the fridge for taking my lunch to work, a couple were donated, and I have reserved my favourites for display and use. It seems that things are finding their homes. This week I even got my knives professionally sharpened. This has been on my list of things to do for so long. It is a simple recipe - wrap knives in several tea towels, deposit at local store and then remember to collect. Thinly sliced tomato anyone?