Desk Diaries 03: A Much-Needed Refresh

A quiet record of desk days—what I’m writing, working on, and figuring out along the way. This is Desk Diaries.

If you’ve been following me on social media for the last several months, you’ll know that this year has been a lot for me. There has been so much change, both heartbreaking and lovely, and I needed to take a step back from content creation while I got used to a new normal. However, refreshing my desk and workspace was just what I needed to start feeling more creative again.

I spend a lot of time at my desk, both when writing for myself and working from home, so it’s important for me to feel like this is a space where I can feel motivated and inspired. While function is super critical, so is aesthetics, so I’m constantly looking for pieces that feel very much me before adding them to the desk setup. My latest refresh was a long time coming — and much-needed. Let me walk you through it.

First, some updates:

I moved my Nintendo Switch. It used to sit behind my monitor, but it was a pain to access. Now it’s back on the right side of my desk where I can dock it and play right here, or grab it and go.

I changed the quote on my word board. For the longest time, I had a quote related to my rituals and routines to remind me how I should honor them for self-care, but lately, I’ve struggled with feeling like I don’t have enough time. This quote by Bullet Journal creator Ryder Carroll has always resonated with me and has been helping to ground me lately.

I refreshed the mood board on my wall. Every so often, I like to switch up the pictures to get me in the mood for the approaching season. The rest of it (like Sezane’s gorgeous marketing) is just aspirational to me in my line of work.

I updated my keyboard with green arrow keycaps. I love the extra pop of green this gives my setup.

I decided to move my filming lamp off the desk. It was just taking up so much space. Plus, I don’t film enough to have it on my desk all the time, and it takes two seconds to set up when I do need to film something.

Second, some additions:

I’m obsessed with my newest items. I added one of the coolest, minimal coasters I’ve ever seen; pastel stackable storage crates that fit under my monitor stand; a faux hanging plant to add some greenery to my hobby shelf; and the coolest “thinking” statue that is a half paperweight, half vase.

I also added some of my favorite books for decoration. Because I can’t call myself a writer without books on my desk.

I think I’m always on the lookout for interesting, fun ways to refresh my desk, but I’m pretty happy with it at the moment. If you spend a lot of time at your desk, either for work or for play, what’s one of your favorite items? I’d love to know.

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