Welcome To The Cloffice

During the fall of last year, I went into my small walk-in closet to throw clothes carelessly into the hamper like I usually do, and I was met with a literal nightmare of a scene. Clothes were everywhere, insinuating that my aim at throwing clothes in the hamper was really off, and it looked completely disorganized and unkempt. I wasn't using my closet wisely nor did I appreciate the space that I had. I was simply taking it for granted and I started to feel really bad about it.

Suddenly, I was hit with the idea to turn my closet into an office-like space; a cloffice. In this cloffice, I envisioned there being a small desk, a desk chair, a bookshelf, my favorite books, a lamp, a few bulletin boards, cute stationery, and some unique personalized decorations. The idea excited me so much and I was really eager to bring it to life. I felt like it would help me be productive and keep me focused by allowing me to be in an enclosed space with all of the tools I needed to work on my creative endeavors. I wanted to fill the room up with so much personality that it would feel like a small home to me.

It took me a week or two to get everything situated but when I did, I was in love. My cloffice suddenly became my favorite place ever. I do everything in there. I eat breakfast while watching J-dramas, I study language, I write, I read, I listen to music, I print shipping labels to sell items, I talk on the phone, and the list goes on. The comfort that that little space provides me is beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. I knew that I wanted to create a small space for myself that would serve as a sanctuary of mine but I had no idea of how much of a sanctuary it would actually be.

You see, my cloffice isn't just a cloffice...

My cloffice is a concert hall.

My cloffice provides me with some of the greatest music listening experiences I’ve ever had. It definitely is my favorite place to listen to music as the music bounces off the walls and creates this amazing sound of fullness. I feel surrounded by the music in the best way. I normally spend around 1.5 hours a day (sometimes much more) listening to music and dancing in my tiny space. It is one of the best feelings ever. It almost feels like a dance club for one.

My cloffice is a place for brain-storming.

I love brainstorming ideas and writing in my cloffice I especially love to write stories for Vocal in my cloffice. I get my best ideas in my cloffice. They flow to me easily and fluently. I guess this is because I feel almost disconnected from everything when I am in the space. It allows me to have a sense of clarity that I normally wouldn't have. When I’m in my cloffice, I don’t hear much noise and the only stimuli that are around me are the stimuli that I choose to engage with. It’s a small but sweet freedom.

My cloffice is a place of inspiration and motivation.

I have four small bulletin boards in my cloffice and they each serve a different purpose. The two bulletin boards on the closet door store my small notes of motivation, a few memories, and a sketch that was a gift to me. Even though this wasn’t originally the intention, this couple of bulletin boards are starting to become the memory wall. The notes of motivation are sweet reminders to me of what really matters and the postcards and the sketch remind me of beautiful times in my life and evoke pleasant memories within me.

My other bulletin board serves a slightly different purpose. I used to have a difficult time remembering everything that would have to get done in a week. The bulletin board full of lists and reminders keep me on track. I have everything that I need to do, need to buy, or just things that I have to pay. I also put down all of my deadlines and due dates on it. This bulletin board is absolutely necessary to me and I always remember what I have to do for the week now.

My cloffice is a place for business.

One of the cool things about having a cloffice is that it is still a closet at the end of the day, so it is easy to store things. I have several storage bins where I store some of my belongings as well as items that I sell. When an item sells, I package the item, write a thank you note to the buyer, and print and post the shipping label onto the package. I do all of this from the comfort of my cloffice and it’s also so easy because I have all the materials that I need. It’s honestly so convenient.

And finally, my cloffice is a place for art and appreciation.

One of my favorite parts about the cloffice is the painting of myself on the right-hand corner of the main wall. The painting was a very special gift and it means so much to me. To me, I feel like it completes the cloffice as the painting captures the essence of me, and that essence almost fills up the room. It makes the space feel like me.

The painting was also such a sweet gesture and a thoughtful gift and every time I go into my cloffice I am reminded of how greatly I am loved. I am very appreciative for this.

My cloffice space is directly dedicated to my growth and expansion, joy and freedom, comfort, and grace. It’s a small space indeed but it means a great deal to me to be able to have a space like this to love and enjoy.