Poetry, Selective Mutism and Finding Voice A Journey From Silence to Voice This year marks 30 years since I first began the journey of “coming out” from silence into voice. It has been a path shaped by courage, self-kindness and the slow unfolding of words that once felt impossible to speak. For 14 years, throughout my teens and early twenties, I lived with selective mutism—a condition that meant my words were locked inside, unheard by the world around me except in certain circumstances. It was a time of whispers, of carrying language quietly, of learning strength in silence. Recognition at the 2025 CHARTS Awards On this anniversary year, I am humbled and proud to share that my poem “From Whispers to Words: A Journey of Silence and Strength”, written less than a year ago in early 2025, has been awarded Winner in the General bracket of the Poetry & Literature category at the 2025 Community Housing Art Awards South Australia (CHARTS Awards) ceremony which was held on Thursday...
Simple. Quiet. Companioning.
One of my favourite aspects of simple living is digital minimalism and engaging in mindful computing and desktop organisation—I love having a good ol’ digital declutter! 😄
I always find it interesting to see how other people shape their computer desktop and many desktops I see are always cluttered with files everywhere and a gazillion icons pinned to the taskbar not to mention an overflowing trash basket leaving no room for their poor computer to breathe—I’d be lost—and frazzled! 🙃
So I wanted to share with you a glimpse of my own minimalist desktop—simple, quiet and companioning...
Wallpaper
I use a soft, blooming image that reminds me to take a break from my writing rhythm to pause and breathe. This image changes with the seasons of my life. My current wallpaper with the theme of Bloom reflects my Word Of The Year for 2025 which is Bloom. 🌱
No Icons
I have removed all of my desktop icons except for the trash, which I empty at the end of each writing session before I shut down (right after deleting my browsing history—I leave no traces behind!). By removing all desktop icons, it helps me begin each session on my computer with clarity and calm.
Taskbar Setup
I do keep my taskbar visible at the bottom of the screen. It holds what I need—the current document on which I am working and the system tray with the important little icons like the clock, battery status/sound level/wi-fi/security indicator and easy access to my OneDrive folder—with nothing pinned. And no notifications, either. It’s part of my calm and quiet rhythm.
I like to use just a blank desktop with a nice picture. Otherwise, there’s nothing there. I do save downloads to my desktop, so they’re right in front of my eyes—and then swiftly move them to their respective folders in my OneDrive. Nothing is stored on the hard drive—everything is stored securely in the cloud (and that’s not much—just under 4GB). And all that is pinned to my Start Menu is the browser. If I need anything else, I search for it. 🔎
Apps I Use
I use Word for my writing, Notepad for quick thoughts, Paint for gentle image edits (and Photos to view said images) and Edge for browsing (although I was using a privacy browser for a while there but currently testing out Edge with a much-needed ad blocker and with that—so far, so good!). Oh, and Foxit for PDFs (considerably less bloated than Adobe Reader) and Media for audio. That’s seven apps. That’s enough.
Which is how I like it.
Simple.
Why It Matters
This isn’t about aesthetics—it’s about presence. A clear desktop is my personal sanctuary that helps me companion myself through each writing session with intention.
Closing Note
This is what works for me. Your desktop might look different—and that’s okay. May it reflect what you need most.
Go gently,
Denise Marron 🩷
Denise Marron 🩷
Simplicity Advocate and
Author at Gentle Self.
🌿 10 Years of Simple Living
🤔 Learn More About Denise
Living simply, writing gently,
companioning with care. 🌸
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