In My Own Little Closet, In My Own Little Chair

...I can be whoever I want to be. 🎶

Happy New Year, friends. I had every intention of making this dispatch deep, serious, and inspiring…but I started that version of this newsletter in November and I’ve scrapped two drafts since. So, in the interest of getting on with connecting over perfecting, here we are. Better late than never, I suppose.

Anyway…I’ve been thinking a lot about space lately, and I’ve set an intention to take up more of it this year—physically, energetically and metaphorically. Last year was different and confusing and transitionary for me, for a variety of reasons (including raising an infant), which sent me reeling into survival mode, followed by a period of self-doubt and paralysis that had me feeling as stuck as a Chinese Finger Trap toy.

Rocko’s Modern Life - 90s Nickelodeon was peak entertainment.

The details are neither here nor there…but the light bulb finally went off recently, and I realized that a very simple, immediate way for me to start taking up space again in my life and with my work was to create a private space for myself...in my closet.

I’m sure you’ve heard a version of Tony Robbins’ famous phrase, “where the focus goes, energy flows.” Quite simply, by putting my efforts at the start of the year into making a tiny thinking and working nest, I’ve given myself a safe and happy place to return to my inner, inspired life. It has made all the difference, and it has unblocked my focus, energy and productivity.

All I purchased was this chair, which is an antique that I found secondhand at my favorite local resale shop, for a next-to-nothing spend compared to other new chairs I was seeing online. I already had the side table.

The last two pieces of the puzzle were the dimmable lamp and the 6ft floor mirror pictured here, both very budget-friendly Amazon finds. I needed a dimmable lamp so I could sit here and not disturb anyone late at night or early in the morning, and the large mirror serves the functional purposes of covering the unsightly wifi panels on the wall, and reflecting the bookshelves behind me, so that I can look at items that are meaningful and inspiring to me while I create.

It all came together rather easily — when I first spotted the chair in the antique shop (I actually bought a matching pair, it was a 2-for-1 type deal) I knew this was going to work. I saw the potential of the space because the fabric and style of the chairs spoke to my soul, and the rest of the details followed suit organically.

The point of this story is, space is important. The spaces we spend time in have a lot of power. If, like me, you’ve also been feeling stuck or blocked lately, honoring your needs by editing your personal space might encourage you to show up in areas of your life where you’ve needed a little extra encouragement.