Bernard O'Shea: Add a blackboard to your house and wipe your stress away

Discover how a little bit of paint and a lot of scribbling can spark creativity, reduce stress, and maybe even transport you back to those blackboard days of Irish grammar.

Bernard O'Shea. Photograph Moya Nolan

With the kids returning to school, our house has been a whirlwind of sharpened pencils, shiny new lunch boxes, and the inevitable last-minute scramble to find missing water bottles. 

Amid the chaos, I found myself cleaning my middle fella’s glasses. “You have to be able to see the blackboard,” Tadhg replied “What’s a blackboard?”. It got me thinking: when did I last see or use a blackboard? Those chalky, dusty boards that once held the key to undecipherable Irish grammar. I still have nightmares about “rachaidh mé” and “chuaigh mé”

Imagine turning your walls into a giant canvas where you can scribble your thoughts, jot down reminders, or even sketch out that half-baked idea for a novel you’ve been toying with. Enter the baldly chosen haircut of house decor - chalkboard paint. Yes, it looks dreadful, but it can be a transformative way to bring creativity and stress relief into your daily life. And let’s be honest, there’s something undeniably satisfying about chalk—whether it’s the tactile feel of it in your hand or the sound it makes as it drags across the wall (cue shivers down 50% of people’s spines).

You might wonder why you’d want to use a wall rather than stick to a trusty notebook or even a digital device. The answer is simple: size matters (we are talking walls here. Get your mind out of the gutter). A wall offers an expansive space unconfined by the edges of a page or the small screen of a phone. Plus, it’s always there, a constant invitation to unload whatever’s on your mind.

There’s actual science behind why this works.

Cognitive offloading is a fancy term for something you probably do already: writing things down to get them out of your head.

When you jot down a thought, you’re freeing up mental space, reducing the cognitive load on your brain. It’s like taking the clutter from your mind and tossing it onto the wall.

And then there’s our good friend serotonin (well, I wouldn’t say good friend, but we say hello to each other when we pass)—the feel-good neurotransmitter.

Engaging in creative activities, like scribbling or doodling, boosts serotonin levels, helping to reduce anxiety and improve your overall mood.

So, feeling inspired? (Oh yes, Bernard, let me destroy a perfect wall). Start by choosing the right wall where you’ll see it every day. Maybe it’s your kitchen, where you can jot down shopping lists - or your home office, where you can sketch ideas. 

Applying chalkboard paint is a breeze once you’ve got the perfect spot. Just prep the surface, or don’t (I didn’t bother. Should I have?). Roll on the paint and let it dry. Then, grab some chalk and let the fun and destroyed jumpers begin.

I use it to scribble down random thoughts without any pressure for them to make sense. It’s amazing how freeing it can be to jot down whatever comes to mind—no rules or judgment. It also becomes a perfect place to flesh out ideas. There’s room to map out thoughts, connect concepts, and develop your next big project. And for those of us who live by to-do lists, turning them into something visual and editable on a wall can be a game-changer. Cross off tasks with a satisfying swipe of your hand. 

As an added bonus, you can also pretend you’re a central character in an American high school drama and write your name down on the board and then turn around to tell the kids you “ain’t gonna take no crap” (Ok, that bit might be only for me).

But what I find most powerful is the act of wiping it clean. At the end of the day, I take a moment to reflect on what’s been written, to sift through the thoughts that have accumulated. And then, with a sweep of cloth, it’s all gone. There’s something deeply therapeutic about this—wiping away the clutter, both physically and mentally.

One of the most surprising benefits of having a chalkboard wall is the power of erasure. There’s something incredibly satisfying about wiping the slate clean—literally. It’s not just about tidying up; it’s about letting go of the mental clutter that can weigh you down. Every few days or so, I take a moment to review what I’ve written for the last few months. Some of it is insightful, like stand-up ideas, and some is nonsense, but all of it served its purpose.

“Now sit down and listen, you might learn something because Mr. O’Shea takes no crap from anybody”