Danica Longair’s Writing Space
Virginia Woolf famously hoped for a future where all women writers (and, likely, women in general) had “A Room of One’s Own” to create and be themselves, away from the noise and busyness of life. Nearly a century after the publication of her iconic essay, I am a woman sharing a condo in Vancouver, BC, Canada with four boys: my husband, two young sons, and our elderly cat. Though privileged to have stable housing in this city/world, I do not have a room of my own. I did apply to put a shed on our patio to turn into my writing space, but strata, unsurprisingly, said no. Instead, I have two desk areas and a wide selection of walkable cafés to choose from. Don’t forget the couch, where I spend much of my time, Macbook in lap, while supervising my kiddos. My spaces are important to me, as they reflect who I am more than my personal appearance. But that doesn’t mean they don’t get cluttered. I struggle with ADHD, Persistent Depressive Disorder, and Anxiety. Tinkering with my spaces and my home in general brings me calm and joy, a sense of control over the chaos, within and without. Because with those four boys, life is constant chaos, noise, and mess.
It is a privilege to have any space at all, let alone two dedicated spaces and access to cafés. I am cognizant that I am lucky and that being flexible with the words is important. A writer will be more successful if they are less dependent on the tools and environment than they are on their own minds. Just get the words down, whenever, however, and wherever you can. Especially if you’re a busy stay- at-home mom like me. Perfect conditions are an illusion, as is perfection itself. I present to you my space, right now, as I write this.
My writing space, wherever it may be, has started with Scrivener since 2011 when I first purchased the software (and, also, never paid for it again as Scrivener has vowed not to go to a subscription model). I have Scrivener projects for my current work-in-progress novel, for all my short pieces dating back to 1997 (pre-2011, they are imported into the project), as well as for all my abandoned novels and memoirs. Pictured, is the original iteration of “Cantonese Lessons for a Foreign Daughter-in-Law” dating from 2018. I am primarily a digital-based writer and planner (a productivity app nerd, I’ve been using a pre-launched app called Tana for over a year now for planning), although occasionally pen and a fresh new notebook call to me.
I have a wide screen, curved Samsung monitor (which I originally bought during COVID
times in 2020) mounted to the wall. My desktop was made by myself and my father out of wood that was once a windowsill in my childhood home as well as parts of the desk my father used to make his own desk while at Veterinary School. The desktop has sat on a variety of legs, but currently sits on two IKEA drawer units. On my desk is my essential tea, what I call a Habit Mise en Place (with my journal, book I’m reading and current Lego project – I build Lego to bring me into the present), and a small writing altar I made. In theory, when I write, a battery-operated candle goes on and a small tile is flipped from saying “am not” to “am” writing. I write about the altar more on my website. I have some DIY projects like my fabric covered cork strips and little posters I’ve made myself in Canva.
This past week, I tried to do some decluttering, but of course it took much longer than
expected, and I got sick along the way. So, my desk is surrounded by loose items and boxes of things that need to be sorted and found their own space. I also have my plants, and due to the lack of more space, my desk is my plant space as well.
Branches and waves are important motifs for me. Branches ground me in nature and remind me of neurons and synapses. Waves remind me of the constant ebb and flow of all things in life. Headphones are crucial to getting work done in this space when my family is home. My headphones signal to them that I am working and help me focus, music or not. When I took this picture, my boys had just had lunch.
Finally, is my beloved couch. The spot on the left is coveted in our family and where I am
often found, if it’s free. You’ll also see my Macbook (and a pillow) with quotes and art by Morgan Harper Nichols. As you can see, as much as I like to try to have a pretty space, chaos reigns.
My second writing space is new and the décor and set-up for it is in progress. I put a small,
second space in a room with a door I can close for meetings and quieter time. I moved my comfy desk chair to that desk, although I may move it back to the other desk. This desk, which folds down, is in a room that acts as my and my husband’s bedroom, my toddler’s bedroom, and our laundry room. It too is in the middle of being tidied and organized.
Yes, that’s my toddler napping in the photo in his Big Boy Bed. Nap time is get-stuff-done
time, including writing time for me. A writing space is nothing without writing time and I am grateful to my supportive husband and Mary Poppins-like part-time family helper, Kaiti, for allowing me that time.
I have always been prone to clutter and have found that allowing my spaces to evolve over
time fits with my creative, neurodivergent mind. Recent trends like recluttering and cluttercore, maximalism, and slow decorating validate these tendencies. As you can see, I’m a bit of a nature- inspired eclectic decorator. It may not be the room of my own Woolf envisioned, but it’s what has to work for me, a busy mom in a privileged, single-income family household one hundred years later.
Danica Longair is a mother, writer, and disabled, white settler grateful to be living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. She usually can be found planted on her velvety couch trying to sip lukewarm tea while her kids and cat crawl on her. Please visit www.danicalongair.com for her occasional writerly adventures.
You must be logged in to post a comment.