I have a confession to make… I like making my bed.

Even when I was a kid I liked making my room look “all pretty.” And it is funny, because I am not a neat-nick. I actually like to throw my clothes around. I don’t categorize and labor over cleaning my pastels, and I don’t care about everything being perfectly hung on hangers. And I very rarely do the dishes before going to bed. It is not a “neat” thing.

No, this is more a “visual” thing. I just like a space to feel “right.” I have heard that many people in the last year have given up on making their bed during quarantine. Oh man… bigger confession… I have made my bed nearly every day for the last year! For me, being home all the time it has become that much more important that when I walk into my bedroom it just feels “right.” An unmade bed just feels more icky. Incomplete.

When I was about in 4th grade I remember being very particular about my bedroom. And when I would have a fight with my little sister, she would come into my room and turn around all of my things backwards. Like a figurine on my dresser or the stuffed animals on my bed. Just backwards. And it would drive me absolutely nuts.

I know it is a visual thing. I recently have been studying feng shui … ah! I get it! There is no magic, just small things to help a room feel balanced and “right.” I found I was already doing some of those things instinctively, but then when I added different colors or textures to a room, wow! I now have a better way to make a room feel “right.”

I have not been painting the last few weeks. At all. Brain break. So yesterday I went into my studio space for the first time with the intention of painting. But I just could not do it. The space just didn’t feel right. No one particular reason. Just many little things. Papers thrown everywhere from the zoom classes in November. Garbage bins overflowing. Pastels thrown about. Dust in corners. And for me it is hard to concentrate on any task at hand when I am distracted by lots of things out of place. Again, it is not a “neat” thing, but a “visual” thing. So, I tidied and cleaned and straightened. And when I was done it felt so much better. I literally felt so much better standing in the space. And it really is a tangible feeling for me. So a little piece of advice? Work in a space that makes you happy and feels good. It is very difficult (I believe) to work in an uncomfortable space. Give yourself that at least. You deserve it.

Now I’m happy. I know tomorrow when I walk into my studio it will feel “right.” And then I can get to work.

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