Feng Shui Tips to Inspire a Writer’s Creative Flow

by Olivia Jones

Inspiration is a fickle beast, as every writer knows well.

We do our best to tame it, manage it, and help it flourish, but ultimately it has its own heartbeat and a way of growing or halting to a sudden stop. But among so many things we can do to lift our spirits, creating an environment that nourishes our willpower and allows creative energy to flow freely is perhaps one of the most important ones for every writer.

This is where Feng Shui steps in. An ancient art of arranging objects to allow your own inner harmony to thrive, it may not be a surefire way to prevent every writer’s block, but it can make all the difference when it comes to creating a mindset that is conducive to creativity.

What Is Feng Shui?

Deeply rooted in Taoism, Feng Shui is a philosophy, a system designed to harmonize the energy of your space and your life (also known as Chi). Created over 3,000 years ago, it’s based on the idea that everything and everyone is infused with Chi, your home and your office included.

To enable the free flow of Chi in your office, it’s necessary to create the right balance and open up the right energy channels with the help of the five essential elements, all of which are represented by colors as well as materials and furnishings:

  1. wood,
  2. water,
  3. metal,
  4. fire,
  5. and earth.

The “how” is more complex, and requires an in-depth analysis of your space with the right Feng Shui tools (including the Bagua, the map). Based on the architecture of your home, you can create an environment that will give you good fortune. That means more prosperity, creativity, success and inspiration, all coming from a space that allows free energy flow.

Each of the 8 feng shui bagua areas has a specific feng shui element, direction, color, and life area connected to it.

Before you begin, use the Bagua to identify the eight essential areas in your writing nook, no matter how small or vast it may be. Then you can move on to introduce the right elements that will release the flow of Chi.

Color, for example, is the simplest way to introduce more of a particular element into your space, but you need to strike the right balance. Too much brightness may lead to irritation and can be overwhelming for your senses, while too little can cause you to feel drowsy and suffocate your creativity.

That’s why it’s best not to have a home office in your bedroom, because the Chi in the bedroom should be soothing, calm, restful, while the Chi of your workspace should be more vibrant and active. If you have no other option, use a space divider such as a screen to separate the two energies and help you achieve the right balance.

How to Create Order and Flow in Your Writing Space

Your desk is your safe haven, your sanctuary where all of your creative outpour happens. For a desk to perform its pivotal function, you need to be mindful of its position in the room. Make sure that you’re facing the entrance (without being directly aligned with it), and if possible, position your desk near a window to take advantage of the natural light.

This means your desk should have the “command” position, a clear overview of the space, limiting distractions and giving you ample daylight to stay alert. Facing a window directly or having a door behind you means more distractions, while a window will cause a glare if placed behind your desk.

Since we all use computers nowadays to do our writing (well, most of us—my mom still prefers her typewriter), make sure that this is the only digital item nearby. Too many electronic items can wreak havoc on the electromagnetic field in your workspace, creating imbalance and influencing your productivity. Televisions, phones, tablets and the like should be away from you when you’re working, to limit this negative energy and minimize distractions.

Using the Bagua, eliminate the wrong and introduce suitable elements into your space, thus allowing harmony and balance. You need both Yin (dark energy) and Yang (light energy) to permeate your space. Combining hues such as fiery orange, which helps boost your creativity, with the deep green of plants, which provides a calming effect, helps give your space balance.

Each color placed in the right segment of the Bagua can boost your entire room’s energy. If the West of your room is reserved for creativity, it’s best represented by pure white (the metal element), which will empower creative energy.

Having a bit of blue (the water element) in the North will serve as excellent career support, while the South represents your reputation and should be filled with a fiery color, such as bright red or orange. The Southeast part of the Bagua is reserved for prosperity, and wood its most vital element, so brown and green are welcome.

Details Writers Should Attend to In Their Writing Rooms

In order to balance out consistent usage of electronic devices, consider adding elements that come from nature. A small water fountain somewhere nearby, for instance, can create soothing sounds. You may also add a vase or two of fresh flowers in vibrant hues, or use aromatherapy for a lasting fragrance in your room. Citrusy scents are known to stimulate focus and keep you alert.

Based on your Bagua, the South wall of your office space represents success and your reputation, so use it to showcase your previously achieved results, certificates, diplomas, awards, or any recognition of significance for your career.

Arrange these according to relevance and use custom framing to emphasize those that have a special place in your heart, which will lift your spirits. Even words of motivation you’ve received from your mentors or role models can be placed on the wall for support and guidance.

As the North is dominated by the water element, adding a mirror, a blue rug, a soothing fountain or just images of water would help bring out the career aspect of your space. If possible, you can even paint your North wall in a soothing shade of blue to further bring out the water element. And since Southeast allows the energy of prosperity to flow, add fire in the form of red candles; a fireplace; furniture in red, orange or sunny yellow; or details such as throw pillows.

Writers Can Experiment with Feng Shui Design

With Feng Shui based on so many rules and guidelines, you might have the impression that every writer’s room (or at least an ideal one) would become a copy of the previous one, without a trace of personality.

Not true, as Feng Shui accounts for the most important element of all—the human element. We’re all different and as such, we all have different preferences. Perhaps you find wind chimes annoying, but some soft classical music more to your liking. Maybe you despise a vibrant orange, but like working with a deeper, rustic color.

Feel free to play and experiment. The more you customize your writing space to your own needs and individuality, the greater your chances of creating a space perfect for endless writing sessions, out of which your next writing success will emerge!

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Olivia Jones is psychologist and entrepreneur from Brisbane. Mother of two beautiful children and proud owner of two silly boxer dogs, she is passionate writer, a traveler and conscious consumer, seeking healthy and sustainable products to incorporate into the lives of her family. Her motto is “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

To find out more about Olivia and her work, please see her Twitter and Facebook accounts.