On Writing – Where the Work Gets Done

Where do you get your best work done? There are lots of stories about where creative folk get their best ideas, mine usually come when I can’t record them – driving, in the shower, in the middle of the night. But I don’t see as much about the environment where creation takes place. In my own experience, getting the environment right is very important to be creative.

I want to note that what follows is WHAT WORKS FOR ME. I make no guarantee that any of it will work for you. For some people, what I’m about to suggest may be the worst thing for their creative process. Everyone needs to figure out what works best for them. Taking a look at what works for you may be the best thing you do for your creative process this year. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what I’ve discovered.

1: I need a certain amount of order. The stereotype of creative folk is disorderly, let the spirit flow personalities. A certain amount of that is true in my case. When I’m working on my writing, I am much more of a pantser than a planner (seat of the pants versus careful planning). I work best when ideas can flow and I can work on them as they come. But to do that I need to have the tools at hand. I get many more ideas than I can work on at any given time. So I need some way to record and store them. There are lots of apps and programs for doing that. And I don’t trust them, they don’t work for me. I write the ideas on paper, then put them in a folder marked “Ideas”.

That’s not the only kind of order I need. Over the years, I have realized that when the desk gets messy, the creative force begins to slog. I have never had a “neat” desk. I visited a friends workplace once and the rules in place there appalled me. Everything on his desk was in a place designated by his company. The phone had to be HERE, papers went “THERE”. There was a reason for it (multiple people used the same desks) but it was a system that would have driven me crazy. It would have been an ongoing series of “pushing the limits” tests until I was either disciplined or fired. Best I never work there. (Given that it was a technical field, there was little danger of that).

So my desk can only get so messy. The main workspace needs to be clear, any piles of paper or other items can only intrude so far. Once they go past that line, it’s like a clog growing in the pipes. Creativity begins to slow, then stops altogether. So I need to keep things under control. Trash the unnecessary, file what I want to save, process the things that need to move on to the next level, whatever that may be. And the creativity begins to flow again!

Most recently I’ve realized that the lighting in my space is important. I need light, specifically in the area where I’m working. My current office space has a very disappointing main light. The only window is west facing, with no trees in line with it, so light in the second half of the day is pretty good. But once the sun goes down, the room is gloomy. Not a good space for me to be creative. Maybe it was too many years on stage with those very bright lights. When I’m writing or working on the computer a really bright desk light makes the immediate workspace acceptable. As soon as I push away from the desk, the room is a drag. I made an easy change to the lighting and the whole room is much brighter and my mood followed right along. I’m thinking that my creativity will show significant improvement now.

The last item that I’ve discovered to be important is music. I started working with music playing when I was in college. When finals week rolled around, I packed everything but necessary clothes, my books and notes, and my stereo system. Over the years, I’ve talked to many people who are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They can’t focus with any kind of noise or music. All my best work has been done with music playing. My brain tends to be working on multiple levels at any given moment. If I want to focus I need to distract some of those inner “voices” and music always works. Vocal or instrumental work for me and headphones work the best. Shut out the world and reduce my focus to the work and the background music. With only two points for my brain to consider, a lot of mental energy goes into the work.

And that is the point.

So what works for you? What are the “must haves” in your creative environment? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

Peace

Jay