Compose Yourself: Finding Calm In Arranging And Aesthetics

‘Compose yourself’ means to calm down, have emotional control, and settle oneself—particularly if we are upset, anxious, or overwhelmed. It also has a deeper, creative interpretation referring to actively shaping one’s own being. Read on for a simple, practical, pleasurable strategy to compose yourself using creative arranging of specially chosen objects.

Arrangement / Photo: Natalie McDonagh, 2025. Improbable Solace: Bird, Branch, Vase.

The arrangement of three objects in the photo above is currently in my studio and a source of great pleasure. The wee carved bird with chipped and fading paint—a delightful street find—is one of my most loved objects. The twisting branch made by nature was given to me, its form never failing to delight and intrigue. The black glass vase made by skilled human hands is a constant source of amazement—its perfect form, its heft, the sheer density of its colour.

I am an inveterate arranger of objects into compositions that I find pleasing. It is one of the simplest, most effective strategies I know to ‘compose myself’, to find calm, to care for my psychological wellbeing. The considered, attentive process of choosing, composing, arranging and rearranging, finding a final right composition, is a form of mindfulness practice.

When the final arrangement eventually emerges, it embodies the calm, attentive, stable state of being that is induced by the creative act of looking, considering, choosing, arranging. Now, whenever I look at this composition, I feel my mind quieten, my whole being relax and smile.

Practice: Mindful placement of objects

You may like to experiment for yourself with practising mindful placement of objects. You may well already do an informal version of this in arranging ornaments, organising cupboards, categorising tools by size or purpose, positioning furniture, hanging wall art … This is an opportunity to turn that inclination into a more purposeful therapeutic practice.

I suggest you choose three objects.
It doesn’t matter what the objects are. It could be a humble everyday thing such as a favourite wooden spoon from the kitchen; a treasured piece of jewellery; a wonky vase made by a grandchild, a well thumbed book.
The important thing here is that the aesthetics of the object is pleasing to you in some way—for its form, colour, texture, pattern, material, simplicity, complexity, the way it catches light, the memories it evokes, the meaning it carries.
Choose a spot where you can arrange the objects and will be able to see them.
Take three deep breaths. Relax.
Begin to experiment with ways these objects might relate to each other, situated in space. How do their form, colour, texture, shape, pattern, inform and affect each other? As you compose and recompose, pay attention to what you are experiencing—simply notice, don’t judge.
Play with arranging and rearranging until you find the most pleasing composition. Step back, contemplate, enjoy.

Bed cover at Callemondah, former home of sculptor May Barrie. Photo: Natalie McDonagh.

Head space

A more elaborate form of mindful placement of objects practice is to create a special space in your home—somewhere where you can go to sit, allow mind and body to be quiet and replenish. Therapist, Jules Taylor, often recommends this to her clients (if it’s possible in their living arrangements), for the proven benefits she sees:

“I often ask my clients, is there some place in the house that has special meaning for them, that’s not just a chair. Somewhere they can go and contemplate, maybe write in their journal. I ask them, what items might you gather there that would somehow give you ballast?

“It could be a single item such as a beautiful, textural bed cover. It could be simple devotional items such as a small vase of flowers, a candle, some incense, and objects that might be collected or found … stones or a piece of beautiful bark or a lovely twig.

“I talk about how these things from nature remind us of our own nature, that we are all a connected-interconnected part of nature.

Found section of shed bark. Photo: Natalie McDonagh.

When I ask Jules about the feedback she receives from her clients about creating this special space for themselves, she tells me:

“Some people love the idea, just do it once and then it doesn’t have the same pull for them. Lots of other clients say that it’s a part of their life now, which is really beautiful. It becomes a sort of a living, evolving space, which is what we are.

“It’s an act of self-care. They’ve actually created a space where the intention is all about self-care and that’s often something clients haven’t necessarily considered in that way. They’ve considered it to be a massage or something else for the body. This reframes self-care as also care for our inner world, for our minds and hearts.

“What happens is that people become more connected to their inner world through these spaces. They become more aware of what their internal world needs to find capacity and balance in the external world, and they are able to better support and care for themselves.”