Step into my office

Pull up a chair! This is where the writing magic (read: grunt work) happens

Your Five-Year Plan is a newsletter about embracing life’s profound uncertainty.

Maybe your own plans went up in flames; maybe you’re considering a big, scary leap. This is your trusty companion while you’re writing the next life chapter.

Welcome to the conversation—and to the adventure that unfolds when your plans go sideways. This is letter #45. ✨

I firmly believe that creativity is key to navigating life transitions—and, lest we forget, creativity loves uncertainty.

In that spirit, April’s newsletters will spotlight the details of my creative life. Partly because it’s fun (I adore desk tours! And writing process deep-dives!), and partly because demystifying creative work makes it more approachable.

When we realize that creativity isn’t magic—that our favorite writers and makers are grinding it out just like us—we realize “Oh, that means I could do this, too.”

Today, we’re taking a peek into my home office. A few notes:

• What follows isn’t a set of recommendations, just what works for me. (Though hopefully you find something useful here!)

• Like anything else, it’s a setup that’s been pieced together gradually over time.

• There’s a fair bit of uncool ergonomics shop talk. Turns out, reducing physical discomfort helps you focus on the muse.

Come on in!

1. My office.

In the past, my writing desk has been plopped in the middle of apartment living rooms and tucked into bedroom corners. No matter how awkward the setup, I’ve written anyway…but I’m lucky to have a dedicated home office now.

2. Wall art.

These two pieces—which, together, form a personalized crossword puzzle—used to hang side-by-side at my mom’s house, directly above the desk I worked from as her illness progressed.

One day, we were talking about careers: how she’d felt about hers, how I felt about mine, and what my future might look like.

That’s when she told me the story of these two paintings, which her ex-fiancé had made for her many decades ago. To this day, he’s a working artist making beautiful cut-paper assemblages. She reflected on the courage it took for him, for anyone, to make a career out of the thing they loved most.

Every time I look at this crossword puzzle, I see a loving tribute to her. I also see evidence of someone who met a big career decision with boldness.

3. DIY-project desk.

Fun fact: this desk sat in my childhood bedroom, where our first family computer lived. It’s seen me through years of Oregon Trail, and also elementary-school attempts at a novel.

Unfortunately, it’s also built from oppressively dark wood. In 2011, I consulted a few DIY tutorials before sanding, painting, and sealing it myself. I got a sheet of thick glass cut to place on top. I subbed out the drawer pulls for a set from Anthropologie.

A bigger, fancier desk would be nice, but I’m partial to the history of this one.

4. Standing desk converter.

In lieu of a “real” standing desk, this tabletop converter gets the job done. Mine is the Fully Cora; it’s since been discontinued, but lots of other good options exist.

5. iMac.

I worked from a 15” laptop for four tedious years.

I put lipstick on the pig—buying a laptop stand to make things more ergonomic!—but when my decade-old MacBook bit the dust, I was done squinting at a tiny screen.

Behold, the 24” iMac! I’m more productive during each writing session and still energized by the end of the day, and I attribute much of that to the larger display.

6. Branch Ergonomic chair.

For years, I sat in a lovely antique hand-me-down swivel chair. I’d gotten its seat reupholstered in this beautiful Marimekko fabric (it’s called Pirput Parput, a detail I feel you must know).

But then I got older, and noticed that my back hurt every time I arose from the swivel chair. A real office chair—can you believe it?—lets me focus on my work, not my discomfort.

Not pictured: walking treadmill.

When I stand at my desk, I’m either perched on the Ergodriven Topo mat or a handy, foldable walking treadmill. I bought the treadmill one gray, rainy winter day when I felt particularly cooped up inside.

Now, when I’m doing light admin work or responding to emails—or just feeling stuck on whatever I’m writing—I’ll bust it out for a leisurely stroll.

7. Chippy The Dog desk calendar.

My mom and I used to trade Chippy gifs when we needed cheering up. We can’t do that anymore, so I bought this Chippy desk calendar as a daily reminder of her. It’s a foolproof day-brightener.

8. Monitor light.

Until the sun spills through my window each afternoon, my office feels distinctly cave-like.

This BenQ ScreenBar lights up my workspace, plus a good portion of the room, without taking up real estate on my desk. Definitely one of those “how did I work without this?!” purchases.

9. Cat-themed water tumbler.

The 24-ounce S’well Caturdays tumbler reminds me to drink throughout the day (I’m otherwise an “I’ll drink when I’m thirsty!” person), and its lid and straw make me more comfortable keeping it near electronic devices.

But the real draw? It’s adorned with cats doing yoga.

10. (Almost) everything wireless.

I used wired accessories long after Bluetooth rendered them irrelevant. When I bought wireless replacements, my space felt instantly cleaner: a small change, but worthwhile for anyone who’s distracted by visual clutter.

Hot tip: AirPods + a playlist of coffee-shop sounds = home-office writing heaven.

11. reMarkable tablet.

I’ll write more about this next week, but it’s a newer purchase that’s quickly become an integral part of my brainstorming process.

Not pictured: footrest.

My desk wasn’t designed for a short person. I shrugged this off for years, until I discovered that you can buy a footrest (cue angels singing) to address this problem. Consider this a public service announcement for petite people everywhere!

Mine’s from ErgoFoam, but predictably, Wirecutter has a whole deep-dive on the situation.

12. The sofa that came in through the window.

I measured my office-slash-guest room for this navy velvet sleeper sofa…but I didn’t measure the hallway that leads here.

So the window had to come out for the sofa to come in, and all I’ll say about that episode is that I’m glad to live in a one-story house.

13. Koval Distillery art.

There’s a great little distillery near my old apartment in Chicago, and it was a labor of love to track down all four of the seasonal screen-printed posters in this set.

14. Antique rug and fuzzy throw.

These are both imported directly from my mom’s house to remind me of her and make the space feel warmer.

15. Needlepoint pillows.

My grandmother was an expert at this craft. I couldn’t keep all her needlepoint artwork, but I wanted a few key pieces in a place of prominence.

16. Double-wide bookshelves.

Originally, I bought one of these Stairway bookshelves from CB2—but my boyfriend suggested getting a second to put alongside.

It was a great call: they fill out the room nicely, offer extra space for keepsakes, and generally make my office feel like a cozy library.

17. A backyard view.

If I look past the curtains that desperately need hemming, I can see rhododendrons bloom each spring. Because staring into the middle distance while working on a big idea is an integral part of creative work, I’m convinced!

Not pictured: a cat, life’s most important accessory.

One must be perched on the sofa, or the windowsill, or my lap at all times. Those are the rules.

💬 What about you?

I’m curious to know: what’s the desk setup that allows you to do your best work?

Had your own plan-in-flames experience? Taking a leap into the unknown? I’d love to hear more. Just hit “reply” to get in touch, or introduce yourself here.

Warmly,
Maddie