Pet-friendly Writing Spaces: Tips for Making a Safe and Creative Writing Environment

It's a well established fact that many authors aren't alone in their writing journeys. Often joining them behind the screen or notebook is a loyal furred companion. Famous authors like Ernest Hemingway and Louisa May Alcott, for instance, loved cats, while other successful authors, like Virginia Woolf and John Steinbeck, leaned more toward team dog.

Regardless of your preferred pet coworker, having a space that welcomes you and your pet is important to inspire long writing periods and harmonious pet–owner cohabitation.

Here are some styling tips to make sure your office, den, or outdoor spaces have the perfect balance of comfort and creativity:

1. Determine a designated writing area

   Whether inside or outside, having your own writing space makes it easy to retreat anytime inspiration hits. For your pet, make sure whichever area you choose is easily accessible and gives them plenty of space to stretch out. If you do your best writing on a desk, I recommend a longer table like the Vari standing desk, which lets animals share one side and your writing device the other.

   
   

2. Enjoy a view

   You and your pets deserve to be inspired by the world around you, so choose a space with a view. If outside, a patio, deck, bench, or blanket could be the answer to your daydreams. If inside, select a room that faces nature and you're sure to find your writing muse. Your pet will thank you too, for all the opportunities to watch squirrels, birds, or other wildlife parade through your property.

   
   

3. Surround yourself with books

   Books, journals, and other writing-heavy materials could sprout seeds of creativity all year round. With reminders of what came before you watching over your shoulder, you're sure to want to see your project through to the end. Your pets might like shuffling through your selection too!

   
   

4. Minimize distractions

   Concentration is key to lulling you into a writing state of mind and your pet into the arms of sleep. If distractions stay minimal, you'll likely have a quieter environment in which to work, which means your pet won't be a nuisance and you'll have a better writing experience. To do this, keep decorations light and small, prey-like objects such as hair ties, pens, or picture frames out of pets' reach. You can also play music to calm both pet and owner for the writing time.

   
   

5. Ensure cozy objects abound

   No matter where you decide to set up your writing spot, check that it oozes hygge. This Danish lifestyle approach marries comfort, coziness, and harmony. Great tools to have in your writing retreat include candles, soft blankets, throw rugs, ottomans, pet beds, and more. My rule of thumb is: the more inviting, the better. But don't make it too comfy—or else your pet won't be the only one sleeping on the job!