Sacred Space

“This is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can  simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be, This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”

Joseph Campbell
The Power of Myth

I’ve been thinking a lot about space, and the lack of it in my own life.  The quote from Mr. Campbell above has been playing around and around in my mind, because he was talking about creating a sacred space – a space for yourself in your own life. A space sanctified because it gives you the place to be who you are meant to be.

For me, the need for space tends to be mental rather than physical.  I’m single and I live alone, so I’ve been able to set my house up to meet my needs.  But intrusions still knock constantly at the door of my mind.  I need a time, a mental place, where I don’t know my family or my friends, where I don’t worry about Facebook or Twitter or what I’m going to write on my blog.  A place where I’m not constantly checking email or surfing the internet or thinking about book promotion. A place where my day job isn’t important and my worries and doubts can be pushed aside.

I’m going to try to create my mental space in the morning, before work.  Early in the morning is the only time I can guarantee I won’t be bothered except in an emergency.  Plus, I love mornings. It’s so quiet then, and I feel like everything is beginning.  I feel hopeful in the mornings.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been successful creating my mental space yet.  After I get to work and until I go to bed, things tend to be rather stressful.  I don’t get to bed nearly early enough, and I don’t get enough sleep.  Then I don’t wake up early enough for anything other than hurrying to begin the day and start the cycle all over again. The hamster on the wheel.

If I’m going to meet my overall creative goals, this has to stop.  I must create a space for myself in my own life.  It’s the only way I’ll ever be a better writer – and a better human being.

So, I think this hamster’s going to try to make a break for it.  Wish me luck!