I’ve been spending time in my mom’s rooms (she lived with us) trying to figure out what she would want us to do with her space.

An Airbnb to help with expenses? A bedroom so the kids still at home could have more space?

But what we landed on, what felt right, was a creative space for the family—especially an office for me.

For 15 years, my office was part of an open family room with no doors, and for the last six I was squeezed into one corner of it. It was chaotic and distracting, and I hated telling the kids to be quiet so frequently when I’d need to have a Zoom meeting or work on a podcast.

It was a really tight corner, but I loved the view of our pool reflecting off the ceiling in mid-day and the colorful skies at twilight.

But I’d outgrown the space, and I needed somewhere with doors where I could shut away the world and focus inside my creative worlds. And I knew with sudden clarity, sitting up there as the sun poured through the northern windows, that my mom, my biggest supporter, would want me to move my office into her space.

So with the help of my family, I took apart a few pieces of Mom’s furniture and heaved my giant desk and two packed bookshelves upstairs!

I’ve been in the space for three weeks now, and I’ve felt more inspired and been more creative than in the last several years! My space is cozy but no longer crammed into a small corner. I also feel close to my mom and can almost feel her cheering me on.