What Surrounds Us

What do you surround yourself with? (I know that’s grammatically incorrect. I know it should be “With what do you surround yourself?” But I couldn’t bring myself to type that on social media. So here we are.) Anyway, I just counted, and there are no fewer than 26 plants right here in my 8×8′ office. Orchids, pothos, air plants, cacti, Swedish ivy, aloe… I love them all so much. But more than that, I need them. I’m not a materialistic person, necessarily — I grew up poor and religious, and learned early on to eschew material gain for the heavenly. (Which is an entirely different topic for an entirely different day.) I know very, very well that “things can’t make you happy”, that “you can’t take it with you”, and that people should NOT be judged by their wealth or material possessions. And yet… there are still things that I like. Things that (I’m almost nervous, writing this) make me happy. Like my plants. I love looking around my tiny office and seeing all of the flourishing green life I’ve nurtured. Like my books. I love knowing that beauty, art, history, information, and culture are all available to me by the turning of a page. Like the art on my walls. I love the Girl In Space fan art I’ve received, the acrylic pours I’ve done, the poster I got the year I started doing NaNoWriMo, the weird double-unicorn shield I got from a church bazaar. Like my lamps and candles. I love light. I’m one of THOSE people who turns on every light at night because it helps me feel warm, loved, and safe. Like my papers. I love handwriting things, and… it shows. Despite my best efforts, every surface in my office that’s not already covered in books, plants, and lamps is covered in papers. It’s part of my creation process and I live among it daily. What about you? What do you surround yourself with? What is meaningful to you, to have in your space as you create? What do you love — and why? Words & warmth, Sarah