Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
…a bunk of one’s own… A place to work.
“When I was seven, I said to my mother, may I close my door?
And she said, yes, but why do you want to close your door?
And I said, because I want to think.
And when I was eleven, I said to my mother, may I lock my door?
And she said, yes, but why do you want to lock your door?
And I said, because I want to write.” – Dorothy West
I’ve been thinking this week about work – about where we work and how we work.
With this rolling about in my brain, I happened upon another lovely post over at Bliss In Images – about our creative spaces.
I have worked in a lot of different spaces.
When I was writing Mostly Happy, I worked:
- In a small studio apartment by a park.
- At a desk, beside another desk, in a big bright empty room in Windsor Ontario.
- In coffee shops – especially for the really heavy bits when I needed to be in public to let the scary words flow and not collapse into them.
- In various bath tubs – I share Bean’s love of bath tubs and work well in them – especially old claw-foots that you can lay a board over to prop your scibble book on. I don’t have a tub right now and I miss it sorely. I dream of once again owning a bathtub, and a bright room to set it in…One day…
- and finally – I finished the novel in a room of my own. We landed back in Saskatoon and got a two bedroom apartment on a sunny street near the library. My love set up his work space in the living room and gave me the “spare” room. It was full of books and sunshine and room to dance and it had a door that locked. I never locked the door, though I did close it a few times. Mostly it was enough to know that I HAD a door.
Things have shifted again and as I work on Sanctuary (yes that is the working title of the NIP)
I find myself building creative sanctuaries for myself in the shakey-shack on the Bay.
In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf said,
“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”
I don’t have much dough right now and I don’t have a room of my own – though there is one in progress…
Here’s what I need work well:
—– my back to the wall —-
Seriously.
I think that these might be the only things I NEED. The rest is gravy.
I was given a lovely gift, this summer. A trailer to write in. A new friend from down the lane heard that I was looking for a trailer and said, “I have one I’d like to get rid of. Come and take a look. You can have it if you want.”
Not only did he give me the trailer – he also delivered it and helped us get it set and level. What a huge act of generosity!
And… I love it.
I worked in the trailer during the 3day Novel Contest in Sept.
Then, I purposely told myself that I must turn my focus back to the NIP and leave the trailer to settle itself for the winter. In the spring, I shall make it my own beautiful writing/dreaming studio. I have all winter to dream on it.
For now, My lovely raggedy-man and I share the big wooden work table that fills our 
living room … and …I am working in the lower bunk in the bedroom. I have made it into a little office – with my lap desk and a bulletin board. I love it, actually. It is warm and downright cozy bananas. I rise up, start the coffee and light the fire. Once the fire is set to burn for a while, I take my coffee and head to the bunk. I have a lamp beside me on the dresser.
I have candles and incense and a wee desk altar — some rocks and a shell, a tiny beautiful silver shell (gift from a friend) and a small fierce rune-casting woman I’ve been carrying with me since…the beginnings. She stands, beside the shell within a shell on a heart shaped rock. Casting.
It’s a good place to work.
A bunk of my own.
Have you claimed a space to do your creating/dreaming/working in?
What do you really NEED to work and what fills you with joy?
Let loose your imagination and tell me about your DREAM SPACE.
Thanks for stopping by.
go easy -p
9 Comments on “…a bunk of one’s own… A place to work.”
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Places I read
some places i hang out
Pam Bustin 
Oh, I love this bunk of your own! I do some of my best thinking in my claw-foot tub. There is rarely a winter day that goes by without me finding a reason to get in … if only to block everything else out for a time. What I sorely miss is having a wood stove. I ache for one. Those elements of fire and water are so integral to my creative process. My mind travels best when I’m surrounded by both. Thanks for inviting us in to your space! X
Hey Jaqueline – so glad you stopped by.
Thank you for the lovely comment. Your post about creative spaces inspired me.
I’m looking forward to seeing how your space develops (especially because your pictures are so glorious).
Ahh… we are almost always “missing” something, aren’t we?
I have the wood stove to comfort me… in the absence of a tub.
And then… I tilt my head to the side and see that…
I have the fire…
And I too have water – in the form of the river flowing out front…
The sky above…
The rocks below…
I am grateful to be in this place.
go easy -p
Pam… I LOVE your blog. By reading, you are inspiring me to turn off my TV, write a bit more and just see what happens. Thanks!
“Well then,” she says putting her hands on her hips and assuming a proud stance…”My work here is done!”
She feels the tap on her shoulder and hears the, “ahem” from The Giggling Muse behind her.
She blushes and stammers…”What I meant to say is… OUR work here is just beginning…. ONWARD, all!”
Love the lower bunk idea!
I’ve been realizing that I need a new space to work.
All my old places are full of leftover thoughts from old projects.
Or, they’re gonzo entirely––like the Zellers Cafe in Market Mall
(oh my, that brings up memories of a party I went to once with some strange peoples…hahaha)
Time to go on the hunt!
~fc
The bunk is working out great!
Though today it was a mite chilly in the bedroom and I forgot to put on the ole fingerless gloves.
It’s warmer out by the fire.
Here’s wishing you a newly discovered most excellent workspace.
Thanks for stopping by, m’dear.
go easy -p
I love your description of your space. The fire and the cozy bunk, even the trailer space you’ll set up next spring… It all sounds so wonderful! I agree on the ‘back to the wall’ thing. I prefer corners, even. I have no idea why, except that perhaps from a corner, you can observe things the best. You’re not missing anything behind you, right? And if you can have your feet up, with a source of wonderful warmth (tea, fire, etc) nearby… even better! 🙂
…and no body can shoot ya! 😉
Hey Megan
Yessssss when I stop and look about… I’m in a corner too. But I have room for a quick getaway. Heh heh.
Thanks for stopping by.
Here’s to kicking back in our corners and having a good scribble!
go easy-p
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