This new book  I’m writing has been a bit of a bear. It’s a book that will require me to dive deep into places I don’t want to necessarily go, and it’s also being written in a season of chaos in our life.

I’ve learned the hard way that chaos and creativity don’t go together well in my life. I can only handle so much physical and emotional chaos while creating chaos for my characters before my brain says enough. When that happens, it’s time to clean my desk. This weekend I spent Sunday sorting and tossing and boxing up books and papers from around and on and under my desk. Then I carefully placed things back with the hope of creating a space that would remind me about what I love to do.

First, the top shelf of my hutch has some of my favorites lined up. The Wonder Women are a play on one of my nicknames. I decided to embrace it rather than resist it. After the movie, I really wish I were like Wonder Woman. The Strawberry Shortcake Funko pops are a nod to my favorite childhood toy. I have a dream of a shelf displaying these along with my original Strawberry Shortcake and my girls’ versions when we finish our basement. Call it my shelf of whimsey.

This saying was mailed to me in December and sits in a frame to the left of my computer monitor. It’s a great reminder to focus on why I started writing. It’s helped me to focus on the joy that brought me into this adventure. The discovery of story and characters. The answer of a call God has on my life.

It can be so easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by the business side of writing, that I love having this reminder where I can see it multiple times a day.

Finally, I recently won this coffee cup in an Instagram giveaway. Usually I’m the one giving the gifts, so it was fun to receive this. And the message is one I need to see all the time. It’s filled with my favorite erasable pens and sharpies for autographing books. I have a zillion coffee cups, so this was a way to make sure I’m reminded I can do what God calls me to when I focus on His help. The mousepad is one I made on Snapfish a year ago for Christmas. It’s a great reminder of my favorite people.

So there’s a partial tour of my desk and a few of the things that inspire me as I write. What sits on your desk? Anything fun?

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