What I’m Packing For My Residency
With the first residency of my MFA career less than three weeks away, I’ve begun to prepare. Because of the state of the world the residency will be virtual this year, but to get myself in the mindset of learning I’ve booked a stay at a farm studio so that I can focus solely on the residency and my writing. In addition to the usual packing essentials (clothes, food, toiletries, etc.) here’s what I’m bringing:
-Coffee and a Coffee Machine: Warm beverages seem to be essential to my productivity, so I’m making sure to bring my own coffee machine and plenty of coffee for the 10 days I’ll be at the farm
-My Kindle: In addition to being my go-to relaxation activity, reading also sparks my creative gears when I’m stuck on something, or when I’m blanking. No matter what the story is I seem to be able to get my mind going with a little encouragement from my favorite authors, so this is a Must-Have for my residency.
-My Art Box: This is a large toolbox primarily full of painting supplies. I’m very big on drawing my characters when I’m obsessing over a story, and I want to make sure that if a new story starts to percolate in my mind I’ll have the tools I need to capture the main character.
-Yoga Mat and Bolster: I’m going to be sitting in a chair for a large chunk of the day while I’m on my virtual zoom meetings, so I want to make sure I make some time to do some gentle yoga and stretching each day. I also plan to go on walks around the farm if it’s not too hot. Physical care is just as important as mental care, after all!
-Photos/Art Prints: Since I’m going to be gone for 10 days (actually 11 if we count the pack-up day I’ve scheduled) I want to make sure to have some creature comforts around me to make the space feel homey. For me this means some framed photos of my family and some framed prints that I find particularly inspiring.
-My Journals: I have two journals, a personal journal and a writing journal. My personal journal is a diary, and my writing journal is for my freewrites, story planning, and note taking. Both are essential for a residency.
-My Planners: I have a daily planner and a weekly goal planner that help me stay organized and plan my days. Also I’ll be setting up important dates with my mentor, and I need my planner to do that.
-Desktop Computer: I debated on this for weeks. It went on the packing list, then off. I have a laptop that’s going too, and I can do everything I need to with my laptop, but I just like the feel of my desktop better. I write easier on it, the screen is much larger, my keyboard is nice and clicky, and it has all my story fragments saved to it already. If I want to do my best writing, I’ll do it on my desktop, so it made the final packing list.
-My Dog: Jupiter, my Boston Terrier, will be accompanying me this year. In a normal residency year he would stay at home, but because I’ll be at a farm he’s allowed to come. I’m really happy about this, because I don’t know how I’ll sleep without him shoving me into a corner of the bed and snoring like a chainsaw.
These are the major things I’m taking. I’m sure there’s something I’ll need that I won’t realize I need until day three, but that’s the fun of the first year, right? What’s a Must-Have on your writing residency/retreat packing list?