The Muse Room: How Atmosphere Shapes Emotion, Creativity, and Connection

Have you ever noticed how your mood shifts depending on your surroundings? The spaces we inhabit—what we see, smell, hear, and feel—have the power to calm or unnerve us, to inspire or stifle us. Our emotions, behaviors, even our creativity, are deeply tied to atmosphere.

Think about it. What kind of environment brings you peace?

For me, it’s always the beach. I picture myself barefoot in warm, golden sand, sunlight melting across my skin, the rhythmic crash of waves nearby. I can almost taste the salt in the air and feel its tang tickling my nose. It’s a place of presence and release.

Now, contrast that with chaos: a cluttered, noisy room, too crowded to move, too loud to think. I shrink in such places. I lose clarity. I lose myself.

Writers, perhaps more than most, understand the weight of atmosphere. In fiction, we use setting to shape character emotion, to guide the reader into the heart of a scene. In life, it works the same way. Our environment becomes a mirror, reflecting back what we feel or need to feel.

That’s why I created what I now call The Muse Room, my writing sanctuary, my emotional anchor, and my creative heartbeat.

Years ago, when my eldest moved out, his bedroom stood empty, an echo of change I wasn’t ready for. So I transformed it, both as a creative outlet and as a step in my healing. Today, it’s a space that carries the past, present, and future in every corner.

Designed by my daughter, an interior designer, and built, quite literally, by the hands of my husband, the Muse Room is threaded with family. It’s more than just an office. It’s memory. It’s meaning. It’s mine.

Let me take you on a little tour.

As you walk in, to the left hang two paintings. One, a heart, my personal symbol, gifted by my mother. The other, a vibrant painting of the chakras by my late sister. Though we were different in many ways, we found common ground through art and spirituality. Her energy lives on in that canvas.

Beside these is a narrow strip of graffiti wall, a remnant from the room’s former life that I insisted on keeping. It’s a nod to the history of this space, a thread connecting what was to what is.

Next to it, a custom wall unit holds the books that shaped me, the ones I reread, the ones I recommend, the ones I could never part with. Scattered among them are artifacts of my passions: a miniature typewriter for my love of writing, seaglass and shells for my ocean obsession, Tinkerbell trinkets (more about my grandmother than Neverland), and a few vintage film nods to The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

Two large windows stretch across the far wall, letting light pour in. Above them, in chalk, I’ve written a favorite lyric: “The Heart of Life is Good,” the title of a John Mayer song that captures what I hold true.

Beneath the windows sits a cozy reading chair, ideal for sinking into words or welcoming a visitor for deep conversation.

To the right is a practical zone: file drawers, a workspace surface, and two metallic book cover renderings of my own novels. I’ll add more as my writing journey continues. There’s also my podcast mic and a small stack of folders filled with current projects, evidence of a writer in motion.

And finally, my desk. Simple. Black. One drawer. It holds my laptop, podcast lighting, a pen holder that says “write,” and a few quiet distractions (a fidget spinner, a stone, some magnets), little things that keep my hands busy while my mind roams.

But the true centerpiece is what I call my grande graffiti wall. It’s the thing every podcast guest asks about. It’s alive with quotes: lines from favorite novels, lyrics, film and TV show dialogue. There are symbolic doodles and fragments of thoughts and truths I’ve collected over time.

If you really want to know me, just read my wall.

So, what about you?

What kind of atmosphere surrounds you right now—not just physically, but emotionally and creatively? Do the spaces you spend time in reflect who you are or who you’re becoming? Do they offer you peace, clarity, and inspiration or do they hold you back?

Whether it’s a cozy reading nook, a corner of your kitchen, or a desk tucked away in a quiet room, your environment has the power to shape your thoughts and moods in ways you might not even realize. Creating intention in your surroundings isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about aligning your space with your spirit.

Take a moment to notice what you’ve chosen to keep around you. What story does your atmosphere tell?

And more importantly… is it the one you want to be living?