Until recently, the books lined up neatly on my massive standup working desk – just behind and to the side of my laptop, and just below eye level (for me) – were all related to nutrition. They included textbooks that I had purchased when I was getting my diploma in holistic nutrition, raw food books, and books on canning and preserving. Handy to have close at hand when you’re a health writer!
About a week before I became a full-time freelancer, I removed all of those books and placed them with the others in our little library made up of four bookcases. And I brought a whole new set of books over to fill the gap.
These books are all on writing, editing, rhetoric, linguistics, advertising, critical thinking, and grammar. And, of course, the Canadian Oxford English Dictionary, as well as a pocket French dictionary to remind me to practice French at least every other day.
It is fascinating what a “trick” having these books always in my sight line can play on the mind. Now that my work is all writing and editing (for all kinds of different topics – not just nutrition and health!), having some wonderful books within easy reach is inspiring and motivating. If I need to look something up in relation to my work, it takes me 30 seconds to find the right book, which is very helpful when you’re in the zone. And they give me new and creative ideas in my work. Even when I’m taking a break, having these books right there means that writing and editing are often (if not always) in the back of my mind. It’s a great way to keep my mind on communications and always ready to do some work!