Is it time for a home office overhaul?

I just redid my office this summer and it feels great now that we are on the brink of fall!

As you are about to discover, I do not operate on the paperless office principal by any means. As a visual, tactile person, I thrive on using actual paper in my office.

If you also like paper, you might appreciate these practical home office organization tips. These are some tools I have used with success:

Hang papers you rotate. My hanging wire has been up for years and I change out what I hang on it monthly, so it has to be secure. Picture wire strung across an entire wall and secured with screws works well for this. Don’t use nails and secure your screws with anchors if you have drywall. Also be sure to use at least medium-gauge picture hanging wire that won’t bend or kink. I use mini clothes pins to clip my work to the wires.

Clip papers to display. If you are like me, you enjoy changing out the inspiration in your home office regularly. I’ve hung six clipboards on the wall at eye level so I can look up and be inspired by what I clip on them. The nice thing about clipboards is that they can be plain and cheap or fancy. Back-to-school time is a great time to shop for decorative clipboards but you can find a huge assortment virtually anytime.

Sort papers you’ll use or file. A traditional office paper sorter works great for this. This is what prevents my office from being over run with all of my notes and ideas. These can also come in handy if you are writing a book and need to sort large volumes of paper. I chose something like this sorter but they come in a variety of sizes. If I were purchasing one today, I would get this one.

Box items to sort later. Sometimes you just need a place to toss things. I use IKEA cardboard boxes and store them in IKEA cubes. I have 8 cubes in my closet and five rolling cubes. These boxes are great for storing collage supplies, of which I have many. I also toss repetitive mail in these boxes, for examples recorded monthly coaching sessions that I don’t need to sort right now but wish to keep. I use cardboard boxes with covers instead of fabric cubes because I have cats in my office and I don’t want my bins scratched or full of cat hair.

Store magazines by season and type. Another thing I like about IKEA cubes is that they work well for storing magazines, of which I have many. Magazines don’t stand up well on regular book shelves, so I lay them flat in IKEA cubes and put matching sets in magazine sorters. IKEA has great prices on a variety of styles of magazine sorters, but you can find them anywhere.

Display magazines to read. I like to have a place where I can grab a quick seasonal and topical magazine to browse on my way out the door or upstairs. I have never found it practical to store magazines in the bedroom, where they just seem to pile up and get dusty. There may be some wisdom in storing magazines in the bathroom, but of course they can get  soggy in there, so my solution is to store them just outside the bathroom. Since I visit the bathroom as often as the next person, this gives me ample opportunities to check out my magazine selection, which is also close to the stairs and the front door. Magazine sorters are made of many materials. Mine just happens to be made of orange fabric.

Sort papers in process. I have a couple more fabric sorters in my office that are blue and are perfect for sorting bills to open, pay and file. I also keep folders of projects in process and papers related to upcoming speaking gigs there. Again, any kind of wall-mounted paper sorter can work, mine just happen to be made of fabric.

Bind loose papers to keep. All of my old clips, classes, correspondence, and publicity are stored in three-ring binders with plastic page protectors. I use 3-inch binders for my article clips because there are so many. Ditto for thank you notes and publicity clippings. Courses are printed out and compiled in smaller binders. I am not even sure why they make round ring binders. I much prefer one-touch, heavy-duty slant ring binders that last.

Shelve all those books. Of course, the largest amount of paper in my office is contained within the covers of books. Some folks indulge themselves in gorgeous shelving with lots of decorative accents. But my bookshelves are crammed-to-bursting with all of my writing, creativity, inspiration, and decor books. When I can’t fit them all across the shelf, I stack them up on the ends so I can jam more in. I have been making two cheap variety store office shelves work for me for over a decade. Some day, I will replace them with heavier duty shelves that have more shelves per foot so I can squeeze in even more books.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have papers to sort? If so, I hope this post has inspired you.

If you liked this post, I recently wrote another on “10 Ways To Recharge Your Office After Summer Vacation.” Check it out!

I also wrote “A Continuous Quest For Joy Is What My Creative Writing Process Is About,” which you can read here.

So much inspiration, so little time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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Hi folks!

I posted a photo on Instagram that prompted a few questions.

Here’s the photo:

So the questions are about how do I label my paper sorter and what is in those cubbies and on my clipboards?

What you are seeing here is the result of how I inspire myself in my home office. There is no secret formula to how I label my cubbies. At least, there is no secret formula that has ever worked for me. Maybe you can figure out how to label your cubbies in a way that will inspire your writing productivity. What I have reconciled myself to is the idea that my paper sorter is for filing papers I may want to find in the future. And then mostly I don’t look at them.

So, yes, I keep all of my Dream Team notes. I print out inspiration for future article ideas, when I come across it. I have a couple of cubbies with printouts of interviews with me and quotes folks have favored, etc.

But most days I don’t look at any of it. So I would say that these cubbies are not driving my creativity as much as my creativity is filling my cubbies.

On the clipboards above the paper sorter, I can easily print and clip a quote I come across that I fancy. I do that sometimes. I also sometimes combine quotes I like with images like those postcard-sized images to the left.

I hang my published articles on two clothes lines for a few reasons. One, it inspires me to see a steady stream of my work hanging up in my office.

Two, I can see how I’m doing each month at a glance depending on how full or not full my clotheslines are. I guess this habit is working because my clothesline is usually pretty full.

Three, I really appreciate the professional publishers and editors I work with, so displaying my articles allows me to appreciate the work they did to get my writing to look so awesome.

I change these articles out each month, when new ones come out in print. And then old ones go into a three-inch three-ring binder, which I fill annually.

You can’t see it in this photo, so I’ll post another, but I hang covers of magazines I’ve written for all around the top of my office walls. How can I feel anything but successful if I walk in and see these every day?

The things you see in these pictures are helpful for sorting and displaying the results of my process but they are not the full story.

One thing you can’t see in this photo or in any photo in my current possession is how much joy I experience in my creative process while I am writing.

Any insights you might be looking for in trying to closely examine my photo are not in the photo itself. I have a wall full of articles and covers and stacks of professional results because I take joy in my creative process. It’s the joy that fuels the productivity and the joy that has inspired so many different results.

I felt that same joy while writing a brand new piece today. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Soon the published version of my new piece will be up on the wall. That motivates me.

But don’t follow what I do too closely. Your wall should look different. The cubbies in your paper sorter are going to be labeled in the way you feel called to label them. And it’s not going to be my cat in your photo. It’s going to be yours, I hope. (That’s Smudge sleeping, in the photo above, by the way. And that’s Aspen, sleeping in the photo below. I also have a cat sleeping in the closet and probably one sleeping in the nearby bathroom.)

The bottom line is: go straight to where the joy is in your creative process and spend more time there. If you do, and you relish the feeling, and you let it carry you forward, you too will create a cool office like mine. Only it will look like yours.

Also:

• Quit groups that are claiming they can make you a better writer.
• Stop reading articles that promise insider secrets.
• Don’t take classes or courses or webinars that promise you systems or formulas for success.
• Tap into your desire to grow as a professional and stay there.
• Become more curious about what excites, inspires, and intrigues you.

Hang around more with people like me, who are not afraid to tell you that if you admire my results, maybe you haven’t spent enough time working on your own.

If you had, you would be sitting in your office appreciating your own creative inspiration. Right?

You think you are admiring the set up of my office. But probably you are wishing you could invest more time in creating your own results.

What would your inspired office look like? I bet you will think it was awesome!

I invested quite a bit of time, money and professionalism into mine. And I continue to on an ongoing basis.

Which sparks a few more tips:

• Get off the social media and go get in your creative process.
• Spend time there creating your own rituals, habits, and routines.
• When you find some that work for you, repeat them. When they stop working, switch them up.
• Hang out with people like me who want you to be more professional than you already are because professionalism is crucial and cool.

If writing (or whatever your creative practice is) isn’t joyful for you, I might be able to help.

Check out the offerings in my school. I have a reputation for kicking writers in the butt more than for holding their hands and I don’t plan on changing my approach any time soon.

What you may not realize about my approach to training writers, if you have not taken a course with me in a while, is my approach has evolved and improved. Writers who take classes with me learn how to inspire themselves from inside themselves. Once you learn that, you will never run out of joyful creative experiences.

Maybe you need a kick in the butt. I think we all do from time to time. But it should always be this kind of gentle reminder—a reminder to spend more time in your joy and less time scouring the Internet for secrets.

You know where the secrets are?

They are in your joy.

Go find them!

If you liked this post, I recently wrote another on “10 Ways To Recharge Your Office After Summer Vacation.” Check it out!

And don’t miss my post, “Paper-lovers, Practical Home Office Products To Inspire Your Next Organizational Update,” right here.

So much inspiration, so little time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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I am pleased to announce that I’ve had my busiest month of sales ever in my Etsy shop, Words, Glorious Words.

And this was before I put my entire shop of posters on sale.

I am even more pleased to announce that between now and the end day after Labor Day weekend, you can get a free additional poster when you purchase two of your choice.

I have a large selection of posters in my shop, and although I do offer bundles of four posters for half price already, every customer has unique tastes.

My posters are perfect for your home, office, and classroom. For example, my three favorite posters right now are:

Create A Great Day

It’s Never Too Late To Make A Comeback

Stay Home & Write

These just suit my mood right now.

Which posters in my shop suit your mood?

This once-a-year sale allows you to pull together the three posters you’d really love to own right now and save money purchasing them.

Please let me know in the comments, which poster is your favorite and why. I’d love to hear what you think.

While you are visiting, please favorite my shop and share your favorite posters on social media.

I am in the encouraging words business. It’s fun and empowering to surround yourself with encouraging words. Won’t you join me in sharing some encouraging words today?

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To celebrate the Willamette Writers Conference, I am creating a reduced price bundle of my platform courses, and anyone can take advantage of it for a limited time.

From now until one week after the Willamette Writers Conference, purchase all three of my platform courses for the price of two.

You’ll get:

Power Up Your Platform Like A Pro LINK

Writer Platform Success LINK

Build A Better Bio LINK

Buy now to take advantage of this limited-time offer and build a platform you love.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

I’m also offering a free download of my Take 25 Actions After A Writing Conference Worksheet.

Take 25 Actions After A Writing Conference Worksheet

Print out this worksheet to help you turn the deluge of information you receive at a writing conference into an actionable list of next steps.

Happy conferencing, writers, wherever you are attending!

For another freebie, sign up for my monthly ezine, The Prosperous Writer.

I am teaching at the Willamette Writers Conference this weekend. This is the writing conference I attended in 2005, where I sold my first book, Writer Mama to Jane Friedman, when she was still at Writer’s Digest Books.

I’ve taken a break from teaching appearances for a few years, so I am looking forward to the conference and the opportunity to connect and re-connect with writers. I’ve got a stack of manuscripts to review for writers who are attending and I cannot wait to see Jane Friedman, who is giving the Friday morning keynote. I’m also meeting a coaching client in person, who I’ve been working with for over a year for the first time.

Bottom line: technology is awesome, but events like writing conferences are great places to connect with your writing tribe.

While I wholeheartedly recommend all of the sessions and instructors, here are some of the sessions I recommend, related to sessions I am teaching (see the complete schedule):

Platform & Marketing

Friday

8:30 am: The Basics Of Author Platform Building with Christina Katz (that’s me)

1:30 pm: Optimizing Your Online Presence and Book Launch to Maximize Sales with William Hertling

3:30 pm: Advanced Platform Building: Meaningful Metrics and Lifelong Readership with Jane Friedman

Saturday

8:30 am: Branding: The Key to Career Growth with Chip MacGregor

1:30: Make It Worth Your Time: How to Analyze and Adjust Your Social Media

Sunday

8:30 am: Building Your Brand with Rima Greer

1:30 pm: Getting Started as an Indie Author: What Does It Take? with Tonya Macalino

Nonfiction, Essay & Memoir Writing

Friday

10:30 am: Location, Location, Location: Settings that Breathe, Create Mood, and Influence Story Events with Jessica Morrell

1:30 pm: Your Memoir’s Focus: Writing About Yourself by Writing About the World with Emily Grosvenor

3:30 pm: The Most Important Moment in Your Story with Larry Brooks

Saturday

8:30 am: Excellence 102: The Essential Nature of Dramatic Arc with Larry Brooks

10:30 am: The Web of Character with Hallie Ephron

1:30 pm: Corporeal Writing I with Lidia Yuknavitch

3:30 pm: Corporeal Writing II with Lidia Yuknavitch

Sunday

8:30 am: Writing for the Common Good & Service Writing with Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy

10:30 am: Act Two Blues: The Tools for Making Act Two Great with Cynthia Whitcomb

1:30 pm: Maintaining Your Sanity While Writing About Family with Debra Gordon Zaslow or That’s What She Said! with Natalie Serber

3:00 pm: The Personal Essay: Turn Your Personal Experience into Literary Gold with Christina Katz

Of course, I am only scratching the surface of all the great faculty, who are speaking at the conference. I recommend creating learning tracks for yourself that are customized to the skills you are working on most at this time.

Have fun and be sure to say hello if you are there!

Learn more about the Willamette Writers Conference.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to start learning.

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Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to start learning.

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Happy weekend, everyone!

Enjoy the last weeks of summer vacation.

I hope you will…

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to start learning.

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I had to turn a writer down for phone coaching recently.

We all know that saying no isn’t always the most fun thing in the world to have to do, but the bottom line was that his needs and what I offer were not compatible.

So I said no and I felt perfectly okay about it.

In the past, I might have worried that I was hurting this writer’s feelings or that I should work with him because he asked me, even if it didn’t seem like the wisest choice for me.

But these days, I don’t have trouble making the wisest choices for me because I know these are the best choices for everyone.

If I am going to ask you to trust your instincts, then I’d better do it, too. Right?

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to start learning.

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Feeling sluggish from all the down time this summer?

Wondering how you will ever get back to being as productive with your writing as you were last school year?

Well, never fear. Here are ten ways to wet your writing whistle before fall arrives:

1. Purge your office.

Lordy, I had no idea I was such a hoarder. I’ll tell you what you are going to need if you find yourself in the same boat as me–a really sturdy shredder. Mine has broken like three times already from all the overuse. I would get this one next time:

Or maybe even this one:

2. Redecorate your office.

I have not gotten this far yet because I’m still purging, but may I suggest inspiring posters from my Etsy shop? I am planning to use some in my office.

3. Buy yourself a fun or beautiful desktop object.

I have been wanting a red Swingline for a while now. I use a stapler regularly to attach my payments to my invoices, so it will be nice to have a snazzier one for this task.

4. Update your portfolio.

I do this on an ongoing basis and I find it keeps me abreast of my own work, since I am rather prolific. I have two types of portfolios: a hard copy binder of all my monthly articles and an online article bank for editors. If I don’t stay up to date on all my articles, who will?

5. Gather recent testimonials.

You’ve been seeing me posting weekly testimonials in this blog. I’m making that a habit for this year. I’ve got a steady stream of them pouring in. Why wouldn’t I share them with others?

6. Display your latest accomplishments.

I hang my latest articles on wires above my desk. I also put my books in shadow boxes and display my posters. If I don’t update what’s on display once in a while, it gets old quickly. This is the old view.

7. Make your office pet-happy.

We lost a beloved cat over the summer. We got three kittens last summer, anticipating that Devo would be going soon, but he decided to stick around another year. Now that he’s gone we are combining generations. Our 8-year-old rescue lost her best buddy (who we were keeping away from our kittens) and she  is now being integrated with a band of young hooligans. Needless to say, they are thrilled, but her not-so-much. It’s an adjustment, but every day they get a bit happier together. Oddly, all three kittens are getting along with our two dogs, maybe because the dogs have mellowed now that they are older. So we have a houseful of animals that almost all get along. Meanwhile our barn cat turned house cat has another litter of kittens on the way (she was already preggers when we rescued her and her kittens, which now all have homes). She is kept away from the fray for now. I guess my best advice for a low-energy office would be to get a kitten or two to keep you company. And don’t skimp on the cat towers, so they don’t take out their crazies on your furniture. You won’t be sorry!

8. Buy a new calendar or planner.

I usually use an academic wall calendar in the kitchen to keep track of everybody’s everything. This is an example of one I would typically like.

9. Back up computers and devices and update software.

Ugh. My least favorite task to do. But the one I celebrate being done with the most. I have a few backup hard drives and I also use the cloud. Pretty happy with both my Seagate (portable) and my G-drive (desktop).

10. Garden or spend time in nature.

I get a ton of writing inspiration when I’m out in my gardens. I am having a lot more fun in my garden again since I put down soaker hoses to keep everything hydrated during the dog days. If you don’t already have a built-in watering system and, like me, you are always creating new gardens, keep them looking their best all late summer and early fall.

The bottom line? Sometimes you have to make a mess to become more productive. My office is in shambles right now. But I have already filled the recycle bin four times!

We have to make room for new growth and the best way to do that is to cut away the old growth. I hope you will join me this last month of summer in getting ready for a big growth spurt come fall.

Share your de-cluttering stories in the comments if you like.

If you liked this post, I recently wrote another on “Paper-lovers, Practical Home Office Products To Inspire Your Next Organizational Update.” Check it out!

I also wrote “A Continuous Quest For Joy Is What My Creative Writing Process Is About,” which you can read here.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to start learning.

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