MY DESK SETUP

Today I thought I would share my current setup for my desk.

Every year for National Novel Writing Month I get my desk re-set for the month. This year's setup is quite different from what I did last year (which was camp out at the kitchen table with a vat of tea and a warm sweater).

This year I actually HAVE a desk to write on, and I'm super excited. I've cobbled together the best setup I can imagine - the only thing I'm missing is a really good desk lamp. But I'm hoping that will come in time.

A few tips that I've learned from NANOWRIMOs past:

Keep tea as close and as filled as you can. Replenish often. 
Whether you drink coffee, tea, or just straight-up water, keep your hydration near you at all times when you're at your desk. This year I'm drinking my favourite drink - hibiscus tea mixed with organic Guyuasa. Holy yum.

Keep hydrated. Period. 
The first thing I do when I start running out of steam is hydrate. 9 times out of 10 that's all I needed to keep going. Hydration is what keeps your brain oiled up for creativity (ew, but true). When we get dehydrated our brains begin to slow down. More water is always better than less, so keep a cup of water near.

Also, snacks. 
Halloween candy is a favourite amoung NANO veterans - a couple chocolate bars can work wonders when you're in the pits of writing. But if sugar isn't your forte, fresh fruit, a few crunchy carrot sticks, some seeds and nuts, even crackers also make great in-action snacks to keep by your desk. My favourites are grapes, pumpkin seeds and pita chips. And chocolate.

Clean it up every night 
In chef-terms, this is called mise en place. Which basically translates to 'put everything where it belongs and you won't waste time trying to find it when you need it again.' Clean up after every writing spree - scoop the wrappers and pencil shavings, put your notebook back where it belongs, take stock of what you've written. Try as hard as you can to keep things, even your thoughts, organized. You'll thank yourself later.

Have a 'thought pad' 
Oftentimes we find the best details for things as we're writing. People's names, specific habits and traits - especially during NANO, we tend to come up with important details on the fly. Have a notebook handy to write down all those names, people, traits and details so you don't forget it later.

 As you can see, despite my desk still being quite a mess, I have a spot for tea, a spot for my art supplies, a little altar of inspiring people, a place for my notepads and laptop, and a big sheet of paper that I can jot down last-minute ideas (thank you, IKEA). I'm really loving my setup so far - we'll see what it looks like halfway in.

Writers - show me your desks! What are some tips and tricks you've learned through NANOWRIMO? Anything I'm forgetting? 

And, as always, happy writing!

CREATIVE UPDATE : BULLET JOURNAL

This past month, I decided to start trying my hand at keeping a bullet journal. What is a bullet journal? There's a lot of talk of what exactly a bullet journal is. For most, it's simply a system for organizing thoughts and recording their days. More information from the original creator can be found here, too!

For me, I've decided to use mine as not only a planner, but a journal and place to put my collages as well. I'm going to list goals, thoughts, ideas, drawings, text and quotes, and any other little list I can think of. I'm SUPER excited, and my first week of using it has been SUPER satisfying so far.

 This is the modified key that I'm using. I ended up switching the ○ symbol with the ■ symbol, simply because I mostly use my journal for tasks, and my circles look nicer than my squares. The other page is blank so far, I'm hoping to make a little dedication. I'll share once it's done.

 This is my overview page for October. I haven't been using the calendar for much yet, other than marking my paydays, and any big events that have happened. I'm also keeping track of the goals I've set for the month, which I took from my quarterly goals post. Hopefully I can do them all!

 Here is my blogging schedule for October, which is already a mess (of course). I'm keeping track of the posts I've written, and then consquently posted with different colours. I've also put some blogging goals to try and meet - celebrating the little victories will make this even more fun.

 This is how I've formatted my weekly pages so far - I'm excited to see how they change through the months. So far I'm keeping track of my hours worked, the weather and temperature, any goals/events, and then a small journalling space at the end of each day. It's been a great way to see how much I've done in a week - especially helpful if the days feel like they've been flying by!

 I'm not sure what this page is going to be, yet. But I'm really liking the colours on it so far - a little snippet from an activity in the watercolour class I'm taking on Skillshare.

 Here are two little useful details I added - the results of a character strength test, as well as a diagram of the creative process - something I tuck in to every sketchbook I keep. They're handy to always remember, for me, and are the basis of almost everything I do. Little reminders are the best.

I've been following a lot of planner-focused instagrammers, and a few journalling tumblrs for inspiration, but I'd love to find more. Does anyone know any good places for journalling inspiration? Do any of you keep a planner/journal/sketchbook? Please share! I'd love to be friends!