Anyone  who spends hours at a time holed up inside his or her imagination knows that where we work can be vital to what we create. Our workspace anchors us to the real world and helps keep us going when the words won’t flow. Today, Krista Bremer, author of the moving memoir My Accidental Jihad: A Love Story, allows us a peek inside her office.

“My husband likes neatness and organization, so most of our house is quite orderly—but not my writing desk. Especially when I’m inspired, the desk becomes a jumble of journal entries, scribbled revisions, and open books. To me, an empty desk means an absence of ideas.

“Over the desk is a bulletin board where I post pictures, ideas, and notes that inspire me.  The biggest note, from my son, simply reads: ‘You are the best mom ever.’ I display this note because for me one of the hardest aspects of writing is taking the leap of faith, day after day, to believe that this work matters at least as much as the countless competing demands on my time. With two small kids and a job, I constantly feel like I am struggling to catch up. It can be difficult to justify stillness and daydreaming, without which I could not write. At the center of my bulletin board is a drawing from my niece: a big heart along with the words ‘Love is always the answer.’ This, for me, is rule number one for writing nonfiction: the foundation of the craft. I believe that intention matters a great deal when we write. If we write from our hearts, in a spirit of humility and generosity and with a desire to offer something meaningful and healing to the world, the work gains a momentum of its own.”

“On the House” is a regular feature of our blog that offers a peek at different facets of the editorial process.