The Power of Ambiance
Monday, August 26, 2013
This weekend I sat down to write a dozen times to no avail, each unsuccessful attempt giving way to laborious, unglamorous housekeeping. I've worked to make no priority higher than the pursuit of words and truth; except this weekend, workouts, dishes, and laundry sat disenfranchising my right to write. Usually dishes can wait with the laundry and the cardio, but with a home wrecked from a whirlwind week I couldn't focus.
The professional [writer] is on a mission. She will not tolerate disorder. She eliminates chaos from her world in order to banish it from her mind. She wants the carpet vacuumed and the threshold swept, so the Muse may enter and not soil her gown. - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
The muse refuses to enter an unkempt space, just as she does a chaotic mind. I imagine that keeping up my home clears the way for inspiration, and then lighting a candle invites her in.
Each morning I light a candle and watch the sunrise, basking in the stillness of a world waking up to another day. My Rio Glow candle from Bath & Body Works reminds me of walking down the beach at dusk, with the sun setting and the lights of the boardwalk twinkling.
Every day, light a candle. What a great reminder that life is short, that the only time that matters is now.
- Regina Brett, God Never Blinks
Last week while procuring some new candles I learned that all my life I've been burning scented candles wrong. How can one possibly burn candles wrong? I always wondered why my scented candles waft through the air when they're fresh, but then lose their scents after the first couple mornings. Apparently, it's all in the method we use to extinguish a candle. When we blow out a candle instead of using the lid to extinguish it, it kills the scent. As soon as I stopped blowing out my candles, their scents lasted until their flames flicked for the last time. This is a lesson in nesting I wish I learned sooner!
This weekend, instead of spending the first four hours of my Saturday and Sunday drinking copious amounts of steaming coffee out of cozy mugs and writing, I spent the first four hours of Saturday and Sunday cleaning and renewing my space. Yesterday, one of my girls said, "Sometimes all I want is a clean space, and no one can help me with that." She's so right, the places we live are our own little domain in this world to steward and protect, and not even the best housekeeper can make our home feel all our own.
After a successful housekeeping mission, I stopped by Hobby Lobby and snagged this wooden Farmer's Market plaque for my kitchen. It's a sweet reminder of my commitment to only put fresh, beautiful foods into my body (which includes cheese fries on Friday night).
Our days of Farmer's Market produce are numbered as kids start school and we settle back into routines with memories of vacations and summer days turned to nights to keep us through the winter. Something about Fall's imminence makes me feel like nesting and recreating the place where I live. While my days in my first bachelorette pad are numbered at thirty-six, loving the place we call home is always essential to cultivating a good life.
My encouragement today is to do whatever you need to do to love where you live. Clean, redecorate, bring fresh home flowers, burn candles - do whatever it takes to make your home feel joyful, peaceful, and inspiring. You should walk out of your home every morning feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the day brings, and walk back in at the end of the day exhaling with relief, breathing deep, grateful to be home.