Behind the Scenes of My "Office"

First of all, I'm a student, I don't have a real "office". I've got to do all my work somewhere though, and I can normally be found at my desk.

I'm pretty consistent about working at my desk in my apartment, whether that's design or photo work or other school work. It's the space where I can really sit down and get stuff done. It's a flat surface with a chair that forces me to sit upright and all my supplies are within reach. Of course, I spend a lot of time there watching Netflix and YouTube, but watching there is better than my bed, which I try to keep a place for rest.

I'm very grateful that my roommates agreed to let me put my desk by the window. I'm like a plant, if I don't get enough natural light, it affects my well-being. The rest of my apartment is very dark, so a well-lit desk is a blessing. I like to decorate a little bit, the wall I had above my desk in my dorm last year looked totally different from this one. This year, I've got some Polaroids and other photographs, some hand lettering I did of my favorite Bible verse and my class schedule this semester, cyanotypes from my History of Photography last semester, and a little keychain that a friend gave to me. I love the way it looks, and I love knowing that next year's will be completely different!

The desk isn't the biggest, so I try to keep the things on top of it to a minimum. Luckily, there's a bookshelf to the left of my desk and that's where I keep all my textbooks and other miscellaneous notebooks and books. I like that the lamp that I have has storage for pens and such, along with an outlet and a USB port. I do have another vase that holds my extensive collection of pens and highlighters, and I actually made it myself!

Other than stationery, my laptop is the item that gets the most use. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will spend lots of time sitting at a computer over the course of my life, but that's okay because I really do love the work. My laptop is more than enough for the work I put it through, so I hardly ever have to go to the photo lab or design lab to get work done on the school's computers.

I'll also always have my water bottle or a cup of tea on my desk as well. My favorite type of work is the type where I can sit down with a cup of tea and a snack, put on some music, and get work done. I've created this space for myself that makes doing work pleasant and I think that comes from a few key things:

• Natural light

• Organization

• Personal touches

If you're creating a space for yourself to work in, trying to incorporate a couple of these things may help.

Thanks for reading!

xx, Hannah