This Week's Topic:
When you need creative inspiration, where do you go?
Road Trip Song of the Week: "Where'd You Go?" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Hmm, where would I go would result in a much different answer that where do I got, but I'll stick to topic :)
Usually, it's not necessarily a matter of needing inspiration, but a matter of clearing my mind and allowing seedling thoughts to break through the surface. And the place I most often go to kick-start this process is not that exciting: my bathroom. There's really nothing like a steamy bath or shower to get the creative juices flowing!
The second most common place for inspiration to strike is on my commute to and from work! Every weekday, I find a good window seat and stare out the window for a good, solid hour. And like magic, my most gnarled of plots untangle themselves as I ride. It's fantastic :)
Should both those options fail, then it's time for a writing break - That's when I get back out into the world and experience something: go for a walk, meet up with friends, go to a movie, visit a museum, soak up some sun at an outdoor bar or cafe (especially if it's on the river) - you get the idea :)
So, what about you? Where do you go to get inspired?
Totally agree on the commuting! I walk to work, but it's a 20 minute walk. I usually use it to work out dialogue/new scenes from my WIP. Which means I look like a crazy person talking to myself, but... :D
ReplyDeleteI totally do that, too! Mindless walks are so perfect for working out scenes :)
DeleteI second that. Sometimes I wish I lived in a bigger city so I could take a train to work. Maybe get some me time to think and not have to worry about hitting anyone on the road. But I did recently take a job much further from home and started talking to myself into a voice recorder as I drive. I'm sure I look nuts but it's been quite helpful :)
ReplyDeleteYou'd come off much crazier if you were talking into a voice recorder on the train though, haha :) Sometimes the commute is great, but other times,when I'm in a writing groove, I just wish I could use that extra 2 hours a day on my WiP! Guess the grass is always greener, right?
DeleteBefore I could drive and had to take buses to work, I used to spend the whole trip in my imagination. It was the only part of public transport I miss ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I would frequently travel back and forth from London to Leeds and when I started writing I took advantage of the long journey to write or plan. I always had a notebook in hand if I was travelling somewhere that would take a while to get to. It's a great time to focus on your work!
ReplyDeleteI don't physically go anywhere, but I listen to music, read good books, and look for images that I find inspiring. :)
ReplyDeleteHot baths and showers are my absolute favorite. I wish I wish I wish I could safely write on my laptop in the bath. Then the writing would never stop! I usually read instead, which is still lovely. But yes, sometimes a hot shower can jog all the ideas into you brain.
ReplyDeleteSome of my best ideas came from the shower.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. thanks for sharing
Showers are terrific for WIP problem solving!
ReplyDeleteI always wish my commute included more trains. I love the idea of writing or reading on a commute but since my commute is a 3 mile bike ride in the summer I can't complain.
ReplyDeleteAh, I LOVE taking baths but can't get ideas there, my mind gets too mushy with all that heat ;) I've never had to commute but I can imagine it would be a good time to drift off and figure things out!
ReplyDeleteI get most of my inspiration in exactly the same places! Shower and commuting. In my case, though, I'm the one doing the actual driving, so it isn't always safe when my thoughts disappear into imaginary worlds when they should be concentrating on the road!
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