After two years holed up at home (thanks, Covid), I'm sprucing up my writing room. My creation station isn’t fancy or budget-breaking, but it works for me. I repurpose furniture. Surround myself with tech gadgets, old-timey treasures, and stuff that makes me happy and productive.
 
Hey, want to see where I'm writing my rom com? Perhaps you'll find an idea for your creation station, too. Don’t be shy! Come on in and have a look around at my writing room. 
​ [image error] ​1. Ace Your Space
If a trainstation is where the train stops, what's a workstation? 
—Author Unknown 
You don't need to spend tons of money on your creation station. I repurpose whatever I have on hand for an eclectic mix that brings me joy.
​My writing room is a converted guest bedroom in our cozy yellow cottage. The room is anchored by the 20-yo, L-shaped desk my employer provided when I worked remotely in a high-tech firm.  Cat's Creation Station
A 1960s maple hutch picked up at an estate sale displays family photos and stuffies that remind me of my children’s book characters. The cabinet's double doors hide messy computer cables, printer paper and office supplies.

I cover my walls with whatever suits my fancy:A sampler I made during one long winter back in the day when I had more patiencePortraits of my grandmother and great-aunt as children, taken by my great-grandfather, a photographer in Washington, more than 130 years ago​​ Repurposed 1960s hutch Sampler, family photos from the late 1800s

2.  Tools of the Trade
​
Thank you, paper clips,
for not being like staples that can't commit. 
— Jimmy Fallon



Wherever your space, splurge as much as you can to fill it with tools of your trade. ​I love my trusty 2013 MacBook Pro. It's paired with dual screen monitors, Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that make book formatting, graphics and editing a breeze.

Best, I can take my creation station anywhere just by unplugging my laptop. 

Mountainside creation station - Marion, NC
​Having an ergonomic work station is super-important. Years ago, I developed a repetitive motion injury from long hours of writing. I'm better now after therapy and torturous steroid injections. That's why I have a customized ergonomic keyboard tray to keep me pain-free. An inexpensive bamboo stand from Amazon raises my monitor to the proper height to prevent neck and shoulder strain.

3.  Playlist
​
Music brings a warm glow to my vision,
thawing mind and muscle from their endless wintering. 
-- Haruki Murakami
Can you work when it's quiet? I can't. I need sound. Soft background music. Nothing loud. Never distracting song lyrics.

Orchestral movie scores make up my playlists. Scores from composers like John Williams, James Horner and Michael Giacchino over YouTube and Apple Music pump me up every time.4.  Room with a View
​
There’s a world out there. Open a window, and it’s there.
— Robin Williams
​
​


​Tall windows fill my creation station with light
and glimpses of the world outside.
​
When I want a break from writing,
all I need to do
is look up to ...

….keep an eye on the weather

…. watch my garden in all its seasons 

… enjoy the parade of kids biking, running, and skipping down the sidewalk
​
​… wave at Marvin, our friendly mail carrier  Mail carrier Marvin Cat's winter garden view5.  Play Time
​
​The supreme accomplishment
is to blur the line between work and play. 
—Arnold Toynbee
​​Gotta have a playful creation station or else work is, well, too much like work.

My collection of happy things started decades ago when Mama gifted me a Star Trek action figure. Since then, I've added more. Action figures from outer space Disney characters
An old-timey printer's tray rescued from a salvage yard
is filled with print blocks from back in the day and teeny treasures from Mama's stash.

They're paired with Great-grandma Belle, who watches me from her horse and buggy.
Love that she was a 'modern' woman in the late 1800s, who drove her own carriage! Top to Bottom: Great-Grandma looks down on old-timey printer's tray​6.  People Who Need People
​
Stages of working from home:

Yay I get to work from home.
It would be nice to talk to people.
I hope that pigeon sits in the window today.

– Mark Agee

Bookcase/workout stationAs much as you love your creation station and its flexibility, you'll want to find ways to connect with other humans. My creation station does just that.

Like most of the world,
I felt lonely   and isolated during Covid.

I’m grateful for
the Zooms, Meets
and Facebook Rooms
that kept me connected
​with family and friends.

Hooray for virtual workout classes
(and my bookcase
​ for doubling as an exercise station)!The writing road 
is
long and bumpy,

and
my creation station
keeps me going
​
whenever
I
feel
stuck. Thanks for your company on my writing journey!
​Over to You
​It doesn't matter if you work in a palace or a broom closet.

The trick is to make the most of your space
​ and have fun with it, Photo: Creative use of space, by Mari Mileham, Twitter - May 2021

​​Where's your workspace or home happy place?
***
What do you like most about it?
***
What tips do you have for making the most of a creation station?
***
I'm always looking for ways to make my space better, and I'd love to hear your ideas. 
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