Finding Your Muse: How Your Writing Space Impacts Creativity

Exploring the delicate balance between inspiration and focus in different settings

At its core, writing is an intimate act, a symbiosis of body and mind most often undertaken in the most intimate and private of settings. This setting, wherever it may be, is one of the most overlooked aspects of the creative process. Whether it’s at a coffee shop, in an office chair at your desk, or in your favorite chair with your laptop across your lap, the location in which creation takes place plays a crucial role. Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of a busy cafe, an outdoor retreat, the traditional office setup, or even a cozy armchair with your laptop—my current setup—each choice of writing location can offer its own set of unique advantages, disadvantages, and quirks. In today’s installment, I will explore the dichotomy between the different environments and offer my thoughts and advice for choosing your ideal setup.

The Cafe Buzz: Creativity Among Chaos

Cliche as it may sound to some, there is a unique charm associated with writing in a busy cafe. Whether it’s the steady drone of idle chatter around you, the ceramic clatter of cups and saucers, or my favorite, constant aroma of freshly brewed coffee, your local coffee shop is its own world. Trading your office for a coffee shop writing session can leave you with a plethora of stimuli for all senses. Though I have not had the occasion to do any coffee shop writing in some time, I can recall from my times sitting in a coffee shop while not writing some of the sensory details that I’ve mentioned so far. I have tried to give myself that illusion while writing in my office or on my laptop by using ambient sounds associated with a coffee shop. I find when I do so, I have a different mindset compared to when I listen to other music or none at all. Each unique set of sounds and sensory details have a unique effect on the rhythm and flow of my writing.

To give an example, I wrote a serial novel—similar to how Stephen King originally wrote “The Green Mile, which will be posted on this page at some point if I don’t decide to submit them elsewhere, that start in a coffee shop in Belfast, Northern Ireland with a writer who is traveling as a potential cure for writer’s block when he is approached by a man with a strange manuscript in hand. That idea came to me while listening to a coffee shop ambiance playlist on Spotify during a writing session. It left me with an interesting set of characters. The main character, who I essentially patterned after myself, is an eccentric writer with a jet-setting itch and a case of writer’s block. One feeds the other, and he ends up at The Mad Hatter Cafe in Belfast. The pretty Irish barista, to whom I haven’t given a name as yet, was inspired by a waitress I knew at one time. The old Irishman with the manuscript was inspired by an old man I knew in my youth. I took all of this and ran with it. I ended up writing the first “episode,” if you will, in a couple of days. All of this was inspired by my own writer’s block at the time and the idea of writing in an old coffee shop. Just goes to show you don’t have to go to the coffee shop to be inspired as if you had.

Even if you can go to a coffee shop for a writing session, no location is without its own unique set of distractions. A phone ringing—whether someone else’s cell phone or a phone in the cafe—loud conversations, or even the temptation to scroll social media can quickly derail any productive writing session. Though it is often talked about in stories involving writers, the charm of a cafe writing session can quickly turn to chaos if you’re not careful.

Your Personal Sanctuary: Writing and Creativity in Your Home Office

In contrast to the buzzing atmosphere of your local cafe or coffee shop, there’s nothing more comfortable than an environment in which you are in control. My home office, though it may be full of old furniture and some odds and ends right now, has a clean and workable desk setup. My Respawn desk chair, which I originally bought for gaming, makes an excellent seat for long writing sessions. My office has been the birthplace of many of the articles on this blog and some fiction projects I haven’t published yet. I’ve concluded after doing some writing in other places that whether I consider my office the ideal productivity spot depends on the project. 

The most impactful writing I’ve done in my office, apart from the early blog posts, would be the journal entries and other stream-of-consciousness pieces, writings no one would ever see. Some of those pieces led to some of the blog posts I’ve written. Others sit in the cloud, only to be opened in the face of pure boredom or severe creative blocks. I don’t outline, so I don’t really have to worry about multiple tabs being open other than if I get distracted by social media or other technological distractions while researching for a post or story. Not having the external distractions, when I can avoid them, allows me to focus on the task at hand and be more productive.

With all that in mind, there’s something about the office setup that can make one feel isolated. There is inspiration in the distraction of the outside world. Without that, creative stagnation may set in. Is that worth the focus that silence encourages? For me, the jury is still out. The ability to focus is nice, especially for me since I have problems with that sometimes, but the unpredictability that comes with a less structured setting is something that I miss when writing in the office. Sometimes, location and writing surface make all the difference.

Desk vs. Outdoor Escape: What is Your Ideal Writing Setting?

    When I think about my process and the questions I may get in the unlikely event I become well known, my mind always goes straight to the setting. The choice between my office chair or my favorite patio table adds another layer of complexity to my process. Sometimes, the easiest cure for writer’s block, mental as it may be, is a change of writing setting. Some people may look at the desk setup and associate it with a regimented mindset, a setting used for organizing thoughts and meeting deadlines. Though a traditional office setting is great for prioritizing productivity, I often find myself uninspired in such a rigid setting, especially when I’m in a creative dry spell.

An outdoor setting can provide a liberating alternative when compared to an office or other indoor setup. Outdoor settings can provide an inspiring mix of stimuli through all senses. Whether it’s the sun glaring off your tabletop or screen, the unique smells in the air depending on where you are in the world, or the sounds of passing cars, birds, or even just rustling leaves, an outdoor setting can provide a unique perspective for your writing and spark something you didn’t know was possible. A lot of the early drafts of the early posts on this blog were things I wrote sitting on the patio in my backyard. One post I wrote while sitting on the patio outside my vacation cabin last summer, seated on a picnic table style bench on the deck that looked out over the lake. The natural world invites a unique sense of introspection. It almost forces you to take your time, to stop, look, and listen to the world around you. Stopping to observe not just with your eyes but with all of your senses while writing outdoors can encourage creativity and productivity in ways a conventional writing setting can’t.

Sure, there are certain quirks associated with outdoor settings. A gust of wind scattering papers, unforeseen distractions from people passing by, or unpredictable weather can change your plans on any given day, but writers are nothing if not adaptable, right? Working around these factors may sometimes be the equivalent of spinning a roulette wheel, but if the odds fall in your favor, the inspiration is worth it in my experience.

Writing Comfort vs. Convention: Your Setup Matters

 

Sometimes the key to unlocking creativity or productivity may not lie in your writing setting, but just in your choice of seating. Breaking free from the conventions of desk setups while remaining in the comfort and privacy of the indoors is sometimes all it takes. I have a recliner in which I am sitting as I write this. I have written many of the posts on this blog, along with countless currently unpublished story ideas from this very spot. The inspiration to do this came from yet another YouTube session in which I went down a writing-themed rabbit hole and found one of my favorites yet again.

I mentioned Joe Van Cleave in a previous post about the YouTube algorithm and how it can sometimes inspire our own creativity. Joe posted a video at one time—I am unsure of the exact posting date—about creating in comfort. In that video, he talked about creating in comfort from what he called the “boffice” which as you may tell is a term combining a bed with an office. Joe and I create differently. He uses typewriters. I’m sitting in my recliner typing in Google Docs on an Acer Chromebook 315, which I will have linked here in this article in case you are interested in checking one out. The result is the same for both of us, however. We create in comfort sometimes, and in my case, it has produced some of my best content. 

I started a series of short stories that I will eventually post here on this platform from the same setting in which I’m writing now, lounging in my recliner with my Chromebook across my lap with a cold drink on the end table to my left. When I sit here, I feel creatively free. Often when I’m sitting in the office, I feel pressured to create, pressured to produce. When I sat down and analyzed the effect of both settings on my process, I ended up not drafting in the office at all. That in mind, however, a comfortable drafting spot is exactly that. Such a spot is not conducive to long periods of focused production, a fact that becomes apparent when I sit down in the office to edit these pieces. Whether you prefer comfort or convention, the best way to further your creativity is to find an environment that works best for you and how you think and write. 

Tips for Finding Your Ideal Writing Environment 

Though I feel I’ve found the best combination of creative settings for my process, the conclusion did not come without some trial and error. I spent whole days not producing anything because I tried a new wrinkle in my process that didn’t work. There’s no such thing as universal regarding the creative process. Everyone is different. The key to finding your ideal process and creating location is understanding how your mind works and how you create best and adapt your environment accordingly. Here are some tips for doing just that:

Experiment with diverse settings: This one explains itself. Pick a writing week and take your laptop to a cafe on Monday, write in your home office on Tuesday, and so on through the settings we’ve discussed. In each scenario, pay close attention to how your words flow—or how they don’t in some cases—as well as what kind of content you produce and the quality of said content.

Align the environment with your task: It may be beneficial to reserve the louder and more lively locations—the bustling cafe, for instance—for brainstorming sessions in which you might be able to gather ideas from names you hear, chatter, or even visual things like signage. In contrast, save the quieter locations such as your home office for tasks that require more focus such as editing and revising.

Minimize distractions: Ok, I’m going to level with you. This is one I struggle with, clearly evidenced by the ease with which I’ve been distracted while drafting this piece. That said, there are some tips I can give in that regard that I haven’t employed during this session. Noise-canceling headphones, whether they are playing music, ambient sounds, or just sitting on your ears to block out noise, they are a handy tool. Reducing clutter, while also something I struggle with, can be a particularly effective way to reduce distractions in a home office setting.

Incorporate comfort: Whether it’s your favorite chair, favorite playlist, or favorite spot on the deck or patio, set yourself up to write in comfort and creative freedom

Embrace flexibility: Just like everything else in the world, you and your needs as a writer can always change. It’s important to adapt and explore new things as your writing develops.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s the lively atmosphere of your favorite cafe or the structured privacy of your home office that inspires you, the key to success and happiness as a writer is to be honest with yourself and listen to your changing needs. The dichotomy between being creative and being productive isn’t always black and white. The key is to find a balance that fits you and your unique style. With the right environment and motivation, the words will come easier than you ever thought possible. What is your preferred writing setup? Do you prefer chaotic public settings or a structured private office? Do you create better when you’re sitting in an office chair at your desk or in your favorite chair with your laptop? Are indoor or outdoor settings preferable to you? Let’s talk about it. Leave me a comment or a message through the contact form on my homepage with your thoughts. Thanks for reading and happy creating.