Pssst, hey, want to throw a peek into E.E.Ottoman’s workspace? I know I do. That’s the kind of functional clutter I’d feel right at home in. Oh, and I can attest to to the magical motivational power of those Catherine Dair mugs. Mine has plot bunnies on it. Best. Mugs. Ever.
(If you’d like to know what led to Workspace Wednesdays, or how you can be a part of it, read this post.)
“Although I can work pretty much anywhere my desk is where I spent most of my time these days.
I’ve been told that these photograms are classic pictures of my work space. When I’m writing or researching my desk, along with most of my space actually, tends to get very cluttered. The stacks of paper, books, and notes pile higher and higher the longer I’m working on something.
Despite the fact I tend to have a lot of paper cluttering my office space and there is a notepad on the desk I usually do all of my note taking, outlining and writing on the computer. I have a gorgeous new Mac Book Air that my sister gave me for Christmas. I take notes and outline on TextEdit and then work on Word for my actual manuscripts. I can and do enjoy typing but I also use voice-to-text programs sometimes especially when I’m tired and then text-to-voice when I edit.
My desk is in front of a window that shows me a small shrub birds like to sit on, and part of the road in front of my house, I like the natural light. Usually when I write, I have music playing or a reality tv show on in the background. One of the things I’ve found is a work best with some kind of background noise going on.
I have my Kindle on my desk too because so many of the books I now own are digital and the little yellow bookcase next to the desk is filled with mostly research books and paper copies of my own books.
I also have a print on my desk of an illustration by Wylie Beckert called the Deadline God. I also have a watercolor still-life of pomegranates an artist housemate of mine gave me for Christmas a couple years ago, and a photogram of my nephew. Plus the huge succulent my mother gave me.
The mug has an amazing, steampunk kraken illustration by Catherine Dair and is now my go-to coffee cup and I also have a glass of seltzer water, which is my usual non-coffee drink.”
