Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Creative Environment

My working space: it is hard sometimes to decide where I will work for the day. I mean, should I work in the room? There is no extra seating so my only option is to sit on the bed. Our study nook still has so many boxes in it that I can't get back there. I choose the room sometimes (mainly when my husband is watching some or the other program on television which I find very hard not to classify as tripe, but we have slightly different tastes).

Perhaps the living room when no one is home (like now)? The big windows provide lots of natural night and my fingers seem in tune with the keyboard. Harmony.

Perhaps my small office nook? I have so much stuff laying around from my invitation making projects that my space is limited. I need to clean up...again.

What I usually find is that I use a number of different spaces. I transfer from one to the other depending on my environment's changes (i.e. family wants something, sun goes down, etc.). I unplug my MacBook and carry it to the next room, dragging the cord behind me like Linus carries his blanket. I feel like Linus in those moments, a cute little displaced child, carrying their most important possession with them. He was best friend, philosopher and theologian to Charlie Brown. Smart kid. It never seemed to matter to him that people made fun of his blanket. I too have a blanket, it is too valuable to me to let it drag on the ground though. My mother made it for me before I was born, I think. She made it adult sized so I could always use it. There's a good Mom for you.

I think that on the days I don't work, I may need to go up to my office and bring my laptop and try to do some work there. I won't be distracted. It might work. Question: do you all work with music on? I can read with music on (though I don't prefer it) but I've never really tried writing with it on.

My husband is a writer as well...he writes music. He says that whenever he finds himself thinking too hard, he stops writing. He thinks his songs should come out naturally, not forced. I tend to agree with his comment for the most part. My best writing occurs when I don't have a lot of transitional thinking time (like "What should I say next?"). My best writing comes when it all kind of makes sense and just comes out. My brain keeps formulating my feelings into words.

What should I write today?
Options: Book, Articles, Random

I guess book. That is the one that scares me most. I will try today to attack it. Hopefully my brain and heart are on good terms and can create something worthwhile.

7 comments:

  1. I write with earbuds in my ears and (usually) 80s music piping into my ears. Not very loud...just enough to create my own little world where I feel no one can disturb me. Most of the time it's background noise...I don't pay much attention to it.

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  2. I write at the computer desk on my laptop, next to the window and living room. I don't listen to music while I write very often unless it's from a movie my son is watching or music he's listening to.

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  3. I write sitting on my bed, on the leather sofa in the familyroom while my husband watches T.V., and on long drives in the car. (I have an adapter so I can charge my laptop while we drive) I listen to music as background music to keep my mind focused on what I'm doing. (instead of what the kids are doing upstairs) It makes me relax and get my "creative juices following".

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  4. No music - No TV - Favorite places to write - my writing room, the back porch (screened - no critters) & at a picnic table next to our local lighthouse.
    Prefer to edit on the beach (red flair & printed MS) with my creative juices' carefully disguised in a 'water bottle'. [No olives(hic) they get stuck in the top.]

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  5. I write in my home office. Best way to get through a writer's block for me is to just start typing about anything.

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  6. I cannot write with any music playing. I have tried and I want to....but its just too distracting. I have been inspired by some great songs but not while I was actually writing. I have to shut myself in my home office/spare/junk room in order to write.

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  7. Marsha, I tend to agree with you. Music inspires me but I can't write with it on.

    Grumpy, M.D.-whatever you do really works for you because your blog is extremely entertaining!

    I'm slight jealous of JaxPop's lighthouse availability and Newbee's car adapter (where did you get it? I need to get one soon).

    I tried the office thing today and a minaiture hurricane has taken over the town. I'm wondering about the drive home now...

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