March 21, 2023

How to Cleanse & Spring Clean Your Writing Space

 

How To Cleanse Your Writing Space


Drive away the negative energies in your writing room, work area, office space, bedroom, studio apartment, or wherever you write. As a matter of fact, I would say to drive away negative energies throughout your entire living quarters.


Method #1: Ring a bell

The vibrations break up lingering negative energies conjured by all of your writer’s blocks, editing headaches, rejections, plot struggles, and any other problems you might’ve had last year with writing, publishing, and marketing and that leaked into the air while venting your anxieties into your space’s atmosphere. Take a bell and ring it around your writing area, focusing on the corners where these bad energies can collect.


Method #2: Smoke Cleanse

Light incense and move around your writing space clockwise to cleanse the area. Wave the incense in all corners, doorways, windows, and throughout the rest of the space (you can do this in every room) with the intention of cleansing the space. 

Great incense scents to try for this: sage, rosemary, sandalwood, lavender


Method #3: Salt

Salt has protective properties. You can sprinkle salt around the outside of your house in a circle to keep out unwanted energies, including people with bad energy. You can also mix salt into water and sprinkle a little through your house for added protection and cleansing. 


Make sure to focus on your desk when you do these techniques. Ring that bell across your desk, and if your desk is in a corner or in front of a window, attack that space with the bell and incense. Wave that incense stick in front of your computer screen, around your modem, and hold your keyboard up so the smoke can float over the keys. Then sprinkle salted water around your desk and on your writing chair. 

If you can, open the windows after your cleansing to let out the negative and let in the good. Even for a few seconds. If you’re unable to open a window, stand in the middle of the room and imagine positive things (love, happiness, success) coming in. 

Enjoy your space!



Spring Clean Your Writing Space


Freeing up space makes me feel lighter and creates room for good things, better things to come in.

First, let’s tackle our writing devices.


1. Run scans on your computer to make sure there’s no damaging adware that can make it ineffective. One adware removal tool that has helped me in the past can be found at https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner/.

There’s a version for Windows and Mac. Both are free. Updated versions are added all the time, so this is one that you’ll have to download frequently. Getting into the habit of running this cleaner at the start or end of each month is excellent practice, too. 


2. Back up your work, from your current projects to anything on the backburner. I like to use Dropbox. As a matter of fact, I now open my documents right in the Dropbox app on my devices. When I do this, and every time I hit the save button, it automatically saves my projects in the app across all my devices. 

OneDrive is a program, much like Dropbox, to have on your computer.

Using flash drives and/or portable hard drives is also wise. One never knows what’ll happen to apps and websites in the future.


3. Check your email.

Empty out the trash and spam folders.

If you have email folders, go through them a couple of times a year to delete any unnecessary emails. 


Once you complete these tasks, you’ll feel so much better, knowing your work is safe.

Now that your devices are secure, let’s move on to other areas of the office/desk that can become cluttered.


1. Do you use notebooks for your writing that you store in a box, drawer, or closet? 

If these notebooks are for books you’ve already typed up, double check your documents to be sure you’ve typed up and then say goodbye to them. Rip out the pages, shred them, put the shredded pieces in a paper bag, and stick that paper bag in the recycling bin. You can also recycle the front and back covers. The metal for spiral notebooks is also recyclable, but it has to be removed from the rest of the notebook.

The first time I did this step, I minimized what I had in multiple boxes to one small box. I then put those notebooks in a duffel bag to grab in case of an emergency. I also have two backpacks for this purpose. One holds current projects and important information, which stays beside my desk, and the other holds unfinished projects and ideas. Create emergency writing bags for all of your important work, too. Trust me, you’ll be glad that you did.


2. Go through all of your papers.

Toss what you don’t need and reorganize what you do, keeping only the most important at your desk and putting the rest in a drawer or filing cabinet.


3. Do you hoard books?

I have three bookcases in my office. So, no judgements from me. But will you read all of those books? Yes, even the ones you’ve been saying you’d read for years but haven’t. I know I collect books that I mean to read but after time goes by, I realize that I won’t. The weird thing is, I enjoy going through the books I own, taking away books I know I’m not really going to read (or re-read), and donating those books to my local library. Even if they don’t use the books for their shelves, many libraries sell used books. Why not help them raise money?


Get in touch with your inner organization king or queen and complete a good cleaning that’ll signal to the universe you’re ready to receive more.


QUESTION: When was the last time you cleansed and/or organized your ENTIRE writing space?





Cocky Killer Chapter Three Teaser

"The murderer had height to his or her advantage." Avrianna took the pen from Simone and brought it to Chuck's throat. She had no problem reaching the sweet spot. She ran the length of the pen across his neck in a perfect arc, matching the path the blade followed when the perp killed Axel. Chuck stole the pen from her fingers. "That's a little scary to know," he said.


Cocky Killer Chapter Four Teaser

She took a step toward him, enjoying the fact that he was pressed up against the wall. "You have a murderer in vour club," she said in a low voice. "If I were you, I'd watch my back. You could be the next target." His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "Have a good day, Mr. Riches."

Chapters Four to Cocky Killer is up today with BONUS material.



8 comments:

  1. Oh man, I need to go through all of my stuff, not just my writing stuff. I just haven't had the energy of late. These are good reminders.

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  2. I have two offices (one is mainly for writing and has a lot of my library in it) and a small library/guest room at home. Right now the two offices need a real deep cleaning. Over the past few years, I have started giving books to friends that I think they'll like--which has included a number of books that are signed by the author, but it feels so good as these books have been read again. Now for cleaning up my computer files...

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    1. It does feel good to give books to someone who will enjoy them.

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  3. This is a timely post. I so need to do this. Thanks!

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  4. Hi Chrys - thanks for these great ideas ... but more importantly the reminders ... it's on 'my cards' to do as life goes along - cheers Hilary

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    1. You're welcome, Hilary! Whenever life allows it, these reminders and ideas will be here for you.

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