Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Thinking Spots and Special Bookcase


Every creatives require a special space for their creative projects. It could be a room, a table or your bed. Eric Maisel also promotes the idea of having a "Thinking Spot" and a "Special Book Case" installs along side the creative place.

Thinking spot is the place where, obviously, you do your thinking, reading, musing & dreaming about your creative projects. Maisel emphasizes that this is different to your actual creative space. And then you’ll also need a Special Bookcase which holds all the books or objects which support your current creative project.

When I read this, I was stunned. Not because of his ideas but of my own total "ignorance" of it. Let me explain this to you.

I write my stories mostly at home. To establish my writing space, I converted the dining room into my writing room. It was completed with 3 books cased filled with my favourite fictions and an L-shape table to hold my laptop and printer etc. But it never occurred to me that I need a place to think and a place to hold items which related to my current writing projects. I mean I was absolutely oblivious of it.

I began to wonder where I did my thinking and where did I put my books and objects fro my creative projects.

Thinking Spots:

I notice there are a few spots which prompt me to think. One is when I’m in my morning shower. With no extra effort, my current writing project would pop up in my mind and I would think about it til I step out from the shower. The other one is from my walk with Pepper, my dog. Again I don’t have to summon it, the story would just come and go in flashes. There is one odd spot I use but not very often. Sometimes I like to sit in my car (stationary), roll up the window to shut out noises and think. Otherwise, I don’t really think about my stories outside of the daily writing session. As soon as I write the last sentence of that day’s work, there seems like a curtain comes down in my mind and that’s it. The story is gone.

Special Bookcase:

It’s pretty much my night table and my bag. In between my day job and my writing projects, I mostly read around bedtime and at lunch time. I do keep a stack of reference books like dictionary, how to books etc. They are scattered on my writing table together with a few found objects related to my current writing project.

So I do have my spots, but they are spread in different places and corners. Nonetheless, I still like Maisel’s idea of having that central place to focus on thinking and dreaming. I might re-arrange my writing space for these places.

What about you? Do you have one or more thinking spots and special bookcase?

8 comments:

sophie said...

Oh, I miss my Thinking Spot! I have an old arm chair, which used to sit in a corner of my bedroom for me to curl up in and think. Then I moved house (and states) and it won't fit in my room. So no special Thinking Spot for me, even though I'd like one.

And I'm with you on the bedside table as the Special Bookshelf. I have a fairly large stack of books there that I'm making my way through. Not all of them relate to what I'm working on, but they certainly inspire it.

英雄公主娘 said...

WC.... no kidding

Holly said...

My thinking spot seems to be in my bed just before I open my eyes or close them at night.

The other is outside on my patio...sitting and listening to the splash of the fountain. And watching the birds at the feeder.

My creative spot is a large closet on the second floor of my house. That's for arty projects. And, I clean it and put it away each time at the conclusion of play so it will be welcoming for the next go-round.

The computer here on my Lady's Desk is the verbal communication spot. And, it has always had a small bookcase next to it filled with exactly the stuff you mentioned.

So, I guess I'm on my way...

Hybrid J said...

Hi Sophie,

What a shame you've lost your thinking armchair! Just got me thinking, apart from the chair I sit for doing computer work, I don't sit on any chairs at home to do thinking or writing. They are more for watching TV or eating meals. I sit on my bed to do lots of reading though.

I always have a suspicious that the bedside table probably is the most popular and useful bookshelf we ever owned. Good on you! :)

Hybrid J said...

Hi Lou,

Long time no see and you really cracked me up! :) The wonderful toilet sure is one of the best place to contemplate or in my case for reading junk magazines ... ;) Nice to have you here.

Hybrid J said...

Hi Holly,

Nice of you to have so many spots at home for your creativity! And you're so organized about putting things away after you finish playing with them. :) I, on the other hand, tend to scattered them around the house but once every couple of months, I'll do a bit of clean up. Hmm bascially I move the piles to another spot, hahaha! Thanks to drop by.

Pamela said...

I used to have a wonderful Thinking Spot at my old home. I'd sit in front of the window looking out to the backyard, just less than an acre, and look out at the crabapple tree, raspberry bushes, grapevines, flowers and the the little critters living alongside me. Absorbing all that beauty put me in a lovely state of mind and my thoughts would drift off to wondrous places... I'm still trying to find that spot in this newer home.

miruspeg said...

Hybrid what a very inspiring post you have just written....and we all need inspiration from time to time (in fact most of the time!)

My thinking spot is when I go for my walk each day. I now take a tape-recorder with me as I remember a few months ago having some 'brilliant thoughts' that were lost by the time I got home!

I am in the throws of reorganising my spare room and will be buying new shelving especially for my books and a sofa bed. This room will then be dedicated to reading and dreaming.

:-) :-) :-)
Peggy