Lost In (Work) Space

Laptops are a window into the soul. That’s a thing, right? Check out where we work and what we surround ourselves with when we create this world for you.

Alaina, Staff Writer, Austin, TX:

Alaina: ungraded student projects, ungraded student quizzes, library book, bowl, lighter, to-do list for the rest of the semester, planner, stationary, elmer’s school glue, cup for water, computer.

Ungraded student projects, ungraded student quizzes, library book, bowl, lighter, to-do list for the rest of the semester, planner, stationary, elmer’s school glue, cup for water, computer.

Beth, Contributor, UK:

Photo of Emma dressed as a lego brick, bell heather from the moors, Queen of Swords doll, nightshade elixir, this year’s rowan sprigs, Asali talisman, computer/keyboard/mouse, diary and current books, pen-pot, coffee, tarot decks I’m working with this week, amethyst, my card of the day (Wheel of Fortune), client tarot reading in progress.

Photo of Emma dressed as a lego brick, bell heather from the moors, Queen of Swords doll, nightshade elixir, this year’s rowan sprigs, Asali talisman, computer/keyboard/mouse, diary and current books, pen-pot, coffee, tarot decks I’m working with this week, amethyst, my card of the day (Wheel of Fortune), client tarot reading in progress.

Carolyn, NSFW Editor, Los Angeles, CA:

Fantasian, Oh Joy Sex Toy vol. 1–3, The History of Sexuality vol. 1–3, notebook, pen, tape recorder, vibrators (assorted), laptop (dying), Trader Joe's French Vanilla cold brew, water, lamp.

Fantasian, Oh Joy Sex Toy vol. 1–3, The History of Sexuality vol. 1–3, notebook, pen, tape recorder, vibrators (assorted), laptop (dying), Trader Joe’s French Vanilla cold brew, water, lamp.

Carrie, Staff Writer, Los Angeles, CA:

Carrie: 2010 MacBook Pro that has served valiantly in my post-college years but really needs to be retired; extra pair of glasses that I usually wear to the gym but also make me look like off duty Rachel Maddow so sometimes I wear them while working;

2010 MacBook Pro that has served valiantly in my post-college years but really needs to be retired; extra pair of glasses that I usually wear to the gym but also make me look like off duty Rachel Maddow so sometimes I wear them while working; “Who run the world? Girls.” Hillary Clinton cross stitch; Jonathan Gold’s 100 Best Restaurants 2016 guide, featuring places that are all too expensive for me; diagram of the Five Stages of Accomplishment (Denial, Uncertainty, Resistance, Panic, Acceptance) that my mom framed for me when I graduated from 6th grade because anxiety is real and lifelong; fancy headphones from my a cappella days that now help me soundtrack my writing with Harry Potter ASMR videos; empty flower pot because I’m not to be trusted with plants; box of greeting cards.

Erin, Staff Writer, Nashville, TN:

Erin: Stack of papers/letters, tablet, cutting box, pen holder, prints, test tubes, tarot deck, stick that looks like a human torso, candle, Bitch mag.

Stack of papers/letters, tablet, cutting box, pen holder, prints, test tubes, tarot deck, stick that looks like a human torso, candle, Bitch mag.

Heather, Senior Editor, New York, NY:

Heather: Desk lamp, laptop, monthly planner, journal, pen, Everyone lavender + aloe lotion, Headmaster's Office-scented candle, Aquaphor lip balm, Kindle Fire, Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy lamp, Socks Bobbi the Cat.

Desk lamp, laptop, monthly planner, journal, pen, Everyone lavender + aloe lotion, Headmaster’s Office-scented candle, Aquaphor lip balm, Kindle Fire, Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy lamp, Socks Bobbi the Cat.

Kaelyn, Staff Writer, Rochester, NY:

Kaelyn: Trusty MacBook, Gold Fibre project planner notebook, Nalgene of h2o from a Janelle Monae concert, nipple butter, earbuds, chapstick, a ton of pacifiers, exercise ball (doubles as "desk" "chair" when bouncing the baby), and a million other baby things.

Trusty MacBook, Gold Fibre project planner notebook, Nalgene of h2o from a Janelle Monae concert, nipple butter, earbuds, chapstick, a ton of pacifiers, exercise ball (doubles as “desk” “chair” when bouncing the baby), and a million other baby things.

Karly, Social Media:

Karly: Desk on campus. Textbooks, notebooks, MacBook, several drinks (caffeine and non), Ibuprofen, some trash.

Desk on campus. Textbooks, notebooks, MacBook, several drinks (caffeine and non), Ibuprofen, some trash.

Mey, Trans Editor, Idaho:

Mey: On the windowsill: Virgin Mary wall hanging, succulent, AHS: Coven vinyl pops, DC Comics Bombshells toys, Captain Marvel and She-Hulk, Judy Hopps and Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Squirrel Girl, BB-8, Rey, a bunch of dinosaurs. On the book stand: Witch altar (La Virgen statue, fossils, dried flowers, saint cards, shrine), comic books, tarot deck. Desk: La Virgen candles, laptop with Autostraddle and Kate Leth stickers, T-Rex desk helper, crystals, a bunch more dinosaurs, stretching cat pen, hand cream, bag of presents for friends.

Windowsill: Virgin Mary wall hanging, succulent, AHS: Coven vinyl pops, DC Comics Bombshells toys, Captain Marvel and She-Hulk, Judy Hopps and Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Squirrel Girl, BB-8, Rey, a bunch of dinosaurs. Window: Hillary sticker. Book stand: Witch altar (La Virgen statue, fossils, dried flowers, saint cards, shrine), comic books, tarot deck. Desk: La Virgen candles, laptop with Autostraddle and Kate Leth stickers, T-Rex desk helper, crystals, a bunch more dinosaurs, stretching cat pen, hand cream, bag of presents for friends.

Molly, Contributor, Montana:

molly

Diet Coke, legal pad for phone notes, Kleenex, Himalayan salt lamp, Macbook, another monitor, hand sanitizer, notes to myself, notebooks, sunglasses.

Nikki, Intern, Los Angeles, CA:

Nikki: Macbook Pro, note from a friend, lamp, creative vibe pen holder, fake flower arrangement, Garnet from Steven Universe figurine.

Macbook Pro, note from a friend, lamp, creative vibe pen holder, fake flower arrangement, Garnet from Steven Universe figurine.

Rachel, Managing Editor, Milwaukee, WI:

Clockwise from the bottom left corner: notebook and bank statements; office supplies and ailing succulent plant; hand cream and lip balm; bowl of pills and kleenex; pen stand that a group of my A-Camp campers had made for me; coasters; mug my friend Laurie made that says I DON’T FUCKING CARE IF YOU LIKE IT, containing pens; jar of pens and speedball roller, light-up heart that says LOVE from my person; more kleenex??; wrist braces; other notebook, crochet hook and A-Camp patch; mouse and mousepad; laptop and earbuds; wallet and book of poetry by Matthea Harvey called IF THE TABLOIDS ARE TRUE WHAT ARE YOU?

S Dufrau, Contributor, Cambridge, MA:

S Dufrau: Two monitors, webcam, speakers, mic, Zoe Washburne, coasters, Xbox controller, mechanical keyboard, too many cords, usb adapter, beer, pen, mouse, mousepad, notebook, headset, race-car chair, cat hair, tons of junk in the background because my office is an actual closet.

Two monitors, webcam, speakers, mic, Zoe Washburne, coasters, Xbox controller, mechanical keyboard, too many cords, usb adapter, beer, pen, mouse, mousepad, notebook, headset, race-car chair, cat hair, tons of junk in the background because my office is an actual closet.

Sinclair, Contributor, Oakland, CA:

Sinclair: Macbook pro, apple wireless keyboard, rain design mStand, lamp; small leather box which holds sunglasses, keys, wallet, small pocket books, pen; journal/planner/bullet journal & pen, water, small dish of vitamins/meds.

Macbook pro, apple wireless keyboard, rain design mStand, lamp; small leather box which holds sunglasses, keys, wallet, small pocket books, pen; journal/planner/bullet journal & pen, water, small dish of vitamins/meds.

Stef, Vapid Fluff Editor, New York, NY:

Stef: pile of keyboards, Arturia Microbrute analog synthesizer, urn situation that used to be my grandma's, sage, candle, cat, succulent I definitely did not buy in a panic because I just moved and my workspace isn't really "decorated" yet, power cables, 1/4" cables, guitar strings, Roland Cakewalk UA-25EX audio interface, headphones, tiny cauldron filled with guitar picks, pile of guitars.

Pile of keyboards, Arturia Microbrute analog synthesizer, urn situation that used to be my grandma’s, sage, candle, cat, succulent I definitely did not buy in a panic because I just moved and my workspace isn’t really “decorated” yet, power cables, 1/4″ cables, guitar strings, Roland Cakewalk UA-25EX audio interface, headphones, tiny cauldron filled with guitar picks, pile of guitars.

Laneia, Executive Editor, Phoenix, AZ:

Two tarot decks (Slow Holler and Wild Unknown) with books; journal; The Doulas and The Radical Doula Guide books; Head to Toe balm from TJs; an instant photo of me and Eli and one of me holding a This Is Just My Face sign at A-Camp; two rocks from a creek in Tennessee; the best water thermos; Macbook Pro; herbal tea and a copper strainer on a saucer; my grandmother’s “Don’t ask me… I just work here!” mug filled with highlighters, pencils, paintbrushes and scissors; framed watercolor that I don’t know where to hang; jar full of flowers, white binder full of Autostraddle business relating to freelancers, upcoming series, and A+ ideas; Passion Planner; pile of post-its and papers I’m digitizing; reading glasses and a pen.

Yvonne, Senior Editor, Dallas, TX:

Left to right: queer books and passion planner, “Don’t Forget to be Awesome” coffee mug, eyeglasses cleaning cloth, Macbook Pro, Oaxaca pen bag, Bose noise-cancelling headphones and journal

Riese, Founder & CEO, Ypsilanti, MI:

I’m currently in the process of moving things around in my house so everything is a bit of a mess right now. BUT, here goes. Desk: MacBook Pro, Bullet journal, LaCroix, post-it notes // Crooked shelf: portable charging station re-purposed as a vessel for zines and cards, “Be Happy Be Gay For Tomorrow is Another Day” situation my Mom sent me apropos of nothing, three candles, jar of pens, rose quartz, spell jar, tray for incoming mail/things that need attention. // Above desk: cover of an old copy of Ramona Quimby Age 8, postcard of Olivia Benson’s mother Jayne Mansfield, photo taken from Twin Peaks in San Francisco, “this is where the whiskey comes from” label Katie attached to a bottle of northern Michigan whiskey she gave me, a pic of Julia & Jenny performing at A-Camp that they turned into a greeting card for me, a signed page of Eileen Myles’ notebook excerpts that Rachel gave me, a postcard of the California Zephyr train, a super-old pic I found at an antique store of two ladies who seem like lesbians, a card from Claudia, a card from Crystal, a collage by Laneia, a photocopy of “Autoportrait” by Edouard Leve from Harper’s Magazine from Tara (ex-girlfriend), a Jim Harrison quote on a paper heart from Meg (boarding school friend), an A-Camp pigeon hole note from Courtney Kist, a You Do You sticker, a photo of my dad with my brother and me when we were young and happy, a black & white photo of my dad that my dad developed in the bathroom darkroom he set up, a card from Chelsey Petty, a unicorn postcard from Courtney Kist, a page from a ‘zine my friend Jake made that reminds me to “be nice / care about your friends more than anything.” Also a playing card. It’s an Ace of Hearts. In 2003, my then-boyfriend handed this to me in a bar in Toronto while saying something sweet about how I was their #1 forever, and then we broke up like three days later, so basically that playing card is a reminder to me that love is a lie and we all die alone. xoxoxoxo.

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Ryan Yates

Ryan Yates was the NSFW Editor (2013–2018) and Literary Editor for Autostraddle.com, with bylines in Nylon, Refinery29, The Toast, Bitch, The Daily Beast, Jezebel, and elsewhere. They live in Los Angeles and also on twitter and instagram.

Ryan has written 1142 articles for us.

59 Comments

  2. HOW DO MOST OF YOU SURVIVE WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL MONITOR, KEYBOARD AND MOUSE? When I was blogging daily (for the super exciting rental real estate blog I was hired by), those were absolutely the most important tools on my desk! Just say no to trying to do research and layout on an 11 or 13 inch screen…

    • i would if i could afford it! i take a lot of notes on paper, i fill up a lot of notebooks, and print things out and use print books for reference a lot of the time.

    • my #1 daily dream is an external keyboard and mouse! and a filing cabinet! oh man what i wouldn’t do for a filing cabinet.

      • @riese and @green I am getting rid of my external monitor, keyboard and mouse that used to belong to my home office.
        I was gonna donate it to the shelter but If you guys want it just pay shipping and it’s yours.

  3. I really like this esp sinclair’s colour organized books and carolyn your room looks straight out of pinterest

  4. I feel like I’ve learned more about all of you just by observing your work spaces. I can’t exactly find the words for what I want to say, but it feels intimate or private to be viewing these spaces. I feel like we spend so much time working in one spot that our desks and other work spaces are these little personal bubbles we’ve formed that end up representing ourselves. I’m glad you invited us all to see them, but I’m curious how you all felt about sharing these place. For that matter, does anyone share my opinion?

    • I love this kind of stuff — like the homescreen post and the Insider collage! Not sure why, I think I just really want to be as open as I can with everyone and I enjoy the reciprocity. Also it’s a safe way to open up without confronting the fear of say, writing a personal essay about how it feels to have your oldest child graduating high school in a few months!!!!!!! lolololol

  5. Dang everybody else is so grown up and yesterday I was thinking about painting my closet walls black so it would feel more like a space ship?

  6. Sometimes I feel like a creeper because I’ve never met any of you in person but after reading this site daily for a few years: mini-cauldron full of guitar picks; that’s so Stef. Lol.
    Also I was surprised Laneia didn’t have a salt lamp by her desk; it’s probably by her other desk.

  7. My favorite part of this is all the cats standing around going “I am the most important part of this workstation look at me! HERE I AM! LOOK!”

    • that’s where scully likes to stare out the window at the rats that hang out in our garbage can, it’s very romeo and juliet.

  10. Please tell me you all tidied to a ridiculous degree for this, because I’ve never had a workspace a tenth as neat as these

  12. I didn’t submit a photo because I usually just work from my bed…is this why I can’t sleep at night? Should I clear some books off my desk? D:

    • I work from my bed too. I think there’s some kind of ~wisdom about how you shouldn’t work and relax in the same place because your mind will associate that place with work/being alert/being stressed about work when you want to chill/sleep. …And yet I work from my bed too, as stated D:

    • I work from the living room on a TV tray because the baby took over my office. I relate. Carolyn told me to snap a pic of the living room because it’s my truth. So I feel like you should have just taken a picture of your bed….

  13. Alaina, that carpet looks really soft.

    Beth, your VIEW!

    Carolyn, your WALLPAPER!

    Carrie, that CROSS STITCH.

    Erin, your everything.

    Heather, I’ve been coveting that lamp for a while and seeing it in your natural habitat may have convinced me to buy it.

    KaeLyn, I love the color of your MacBook.

    Karly, that Shenandoah poster!

    Mey, the whole ambiance of your workspace is really homey and comforting.

    Molly, I’ve been coveting that lamp for a while and seeing it in your natural habitat may have convinced me to buy it. See also: Heather.

    Nikki, I love the shit on your walls.

    Managing Editor Rachel, I love your mouse and mouse pad!

    Dufrau, that keyboard is so cool-looking.

    Sinclair, that rainbow of books!

    Stef, that CAULDRON, obviously.

    Laneia, your workspace is so polished and green and calming.

    Yvonne, your space might be my favorite; don’t tell the others.

    Riese, your wall looks like my wall and I find this comforting.

  19. These are awesome. Also I just started bullet journaling and it makes me happy how many of you are on #teambujo (also judging myself for abbreviating bullet journal a la common instagram accounts)

    Now I want to see if my desk reflects me!

  20. I love that so many of these spaces are exactly what I would expect (Carolyn, Heather, Laneia, Riese, Mey, and Stef especially). Like you could have made this a matching game and I bet we wouldn’t do half bad.

    But Erin.

    Did you send her the same assignment?? Why the test tubes?!? I have so many questions.

      • 1. Why the test tubes? What are they for?

        2. Do you actually write in that space for the website? How? On the tablet?

        3. Stick that looks like a human torso. Awesome. Obviously. But is there also a purpose?

  21. I need to know how many of you cleaned your desks before photographing them, and then I need the uncleaned, warts n all versions

    Because my desk definitely has dirty clothes on it right now, along with like two dirty dishes and a stack of really random papers and a bunch of books for no reason and doesn’t actually have space to work on it, is also a coffee table, and I’m feeling pretty inadequate rn

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