It's ridiculous. I live in one of the most beautiful writing hovels known on earth. Although I wouldn’t call it a hovel… far from it. A writers paradise - absolutely.
I can’t remember anything about the day I found it, but I do remember the feeling I had as soon as I walked through the doors. Actually… let me backup. Can I just say that my front doors are what I’ve always wanted for so long. Sounds crazy but there is nothing better than coming home to doors you love.
These aren’t your average Balinese doors. I’ve had plenty of those.
These are the ones that you would see in a glossy Home Beautiful magazine. Where you’d stop flipping the pages momentarily to stare at their beauty. Perhaps running your fingers over the image. Your heart skipping a beat as your mind starts to roam across to foreign lands wondering ‘What if?…’
Dreams come true.
My front doors are hand crafted pieces of art. A soft white-wash wood finish, delicately carved by hand no doubt, with dashes of paint amongst the flower detail making it feel like you are about to step into a Garden of Eden.
And it’s not only the doors. It’s everything around them. The traditional Balinese offering stand sitting high on the wall to the right. I never tire of the daily morning fresh flower offerings and incense burning that I find sitting there every time I arrive home after walking my pups.
To the left of the doors is green. Full of lush green plants, some that flower bright yellow bursts every now and then that the big bumble bees love. This morning as I opened the doors after an early shower of rain, I was greeted by two snails as they made their way along a long leafy stem to who knows where or why… but they had come to the end of the road.
The only thing I would change is the parking space. It’s small - one scooter fits like a pair of fresh new suede leather boots in a shoebox… but bring in another pair and it’s a tight squeeze.
However, it’s doable.
I knew the first day I walked through those doors that this place was for me.
As soon as you push open the wooden artwork, you are greeted by no other than Ganesh himself. The elephant-headed Hindu God and remover of all obstacles.
He’s rather large, probably at least half a meter high - maybe more (I’m terrible with guessing measurements), and sits snug within a hole carved into a wall. The wall is painted in what I would normally proclaim to be a hideous shade of lime green… but for what ever reason it works.
On top sits a huge pot that used to have a half dead trunk in it, which I was told was still alive - however I asked Kadek who helps me around the place if it was possible to remove it - no one likes half dead plants… especially above Ganesh. Now there is a beautiful and thick growth of violet flowers pouring out from the pot above the wall more and more every day... I'm telling you - it's the Garden of Eden.
Turn to your right, and you walk down a couple of steps into her world.
It’s divine and will take your breath away. You would never know the beauty inside simply from walking past the high concrete walls in the gang outside (laneway) designed for privacy.
This is why I knew instantly it was mine.
I didn’t have to decorate, I didn’t have to do anything… it was perfect.
Wood is a texture and material that I’ve always loved when it comes to homes. Perhaps it's the warmth of the colour, but it simply exudes comfort and cosiness for me. Makes me feel grounded. I stood at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the cutest little wooden Balinese Joglo I’d ever seen.
I wouldn’t say it was necessarily traditional, but my goodness was it adorable. What captured my eye instantly was the gold trimmings around the entrance to the bedroom, and the traditional Balinese puppet silhouette paintings on the left and right panels around the door. Just stunning.
The place is tiny. The enclosed space is literally a bedroom, thankfully with enough room for a small desk. You wouldn’t know it, but that’s where I run all of my PIVOT Mentorship calls, Business Chakra Online MeetUps and have even recorded my Level 2 PIVOT Online Course: Establishing Personalised Business Strategies.
I think the world has & wants too much.
Why is it when someone wants to create they generally want to hide away in a cute little cubby hole? Because that’s really all you need. Sometimes I compare myself thinking I have to have a professional video set, lights, camera and all that… but honestly ~ I think my videos are better than some of the pro’s I’ve seen. It’s all in the delivery.
Moving around I’ve lived in so many places during my lifetime that I’ve lost count. I couldn’t start to think of the number.
The amount of stuff I’ve accumulated and then given away used to annoy me - now I just see it as part of the process… and I’ve become so much more choosey and minimalistic over the years.
I used to have an office back in Australia - complete with filing cabinets, computers, printers, shelves and paper. My god… so much paper. And these days I’m totally comfortable and work really well with my laptop and one note book. Although I do love the Persian rug piece that always sits under my laptop that I bought in Singapore. It’s pale pastel green with flecks of soft white and yellow that brings an air of elegance into my work space no matter where I am.
Elegance and beauty.
These are two elements that inspire me to create. It doesn’t matter how small the space is, as long as there is an element of elegance and beauty around it.
Out the back of my bedroom is my semi outdoor bathroom - full of plants. Showering in nature… going to the loo, has never felt more relaxing.
And then out the front of my bedroom around to my left is my gorgeous little semi-outdoor kitchen where everything has it’s place and there are more jars of grains, spices and ashwaganda than you could poke a stick at.
My tiny dining table fit for two, looks out over my pool which is decorated by palms in regal Roman lookalike pots, with a large stone wall carving of two women by a stream in nature. Pop a couple of white fluffy dogs by my feet and I’m in heaven.
I often pinch myself. Especially when I’m procrastinating.
Writers around the world would give their left arm to spend time in a home like this, let alone in Ubud Bali. It's a complete hub of creativity with everything you need to serve and maintain your commitment to birthing a creation.
I’m up at 3:30am most mornings these days. Writing away at my desk inside my dimly-lit dark wooden bedroom facing my large and very comfortable four poster bed… it’s beautiful and it’s where and when I do my best work.
To be a master at anything you have to practice. And never before have I felt so held and looked after by my environment to push me along and through the creative process. There are times when I wish I could just go out and play, but my vision for where I’m going trumps the short-term distractions all around me right now.
It’s not for ever, only a short time - and there is truly no other place I’d rather be.
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So what I’d love to know is... what is your favourite dream environment to work on your artistry? and how could you bring more simplicity, elegance and beauty into your current workspace?
Share with me in the comments below 😊
Most people see Entrepreneurs as ‘Business People’… I see them as the world's ultimate creatives.
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Thought Leader, Expert of Emotional Intelligence, Psychosomatics, the Chakra System & founder of The Business Chakra System Philosophy, Melanie Midegs is an Entrepreneur who is fascinated by the new era of Artificial Intelligence and how this will impact humanity.
Melanie uses her therapeutic training, wisdom and experience to assist Entrepreneurs & Corporate Executives to PIVOT when they find themselves at cross-roads, by teaching them how to stay connected to who they are, and make better business decisions that honour who they are and their gifts.
Her creativity will blow your mind, as she will help to propel your vision into reality and stand out from the crowd in an crowded market place.
www.seedtosoul.com.au Follow Melanie on Telegram
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