My writing is more about inspiration and less about location. I spend 40 hours a week at the office, which also happens to coincide with the time of day that I’m most coherent. If inspiration strikes, I take a break, whip open a document, and pound out a post. Most of my posts are composed within 15 minutes. Longer ones, I wait until my lunch or until I get home.

where i spend most of my time

Here’s the thing about writing at home, at least from the time I joined OS to a few months ago. It was nearly impossible to do. No time. No privacy. I had to steal moments on OS because while my ex knew about my blog, she didn’t know where it was and it needed to stay that way. It’s funny how stress, angst, depression, and anger can fuel so much writing. I guess that’s why so many great writers were described as tortured artists. I had plenty of crap to get out of my system from the last four years.

Now that I’m on my own, I find myself writing less. I have the time. I have the ideas. I’m just not “feeling” it most days. But when I do, I often write on my couch, with my dog staring at me and occasionally nudging my hand with her nose. Most posts have to be written in silence…I can’t have music or TV competing with the different voices in my head trying to get through. Sometimes inspiration strikes late at night and I write in bed.

the view from my couch

I find myself lighter and happier than I’ve been in years. Sure, I have my angsty days, but who doesn’t. Life takes you by surprise sometimes. Something wonderful can find you when you least expect it and when you aren’t looking. And when it does, it can be thrilling and scary at the same time. I have a romantic side that most people wouldn’t guess from most of my public writing. In my writing, you are more likely to see the cynical side, the side that has been hurt too many times, is afraid to take chances, is afraid of opening up to anyone.

Lately, the writing I’ve been doing is of a much more personal nature and not for public consumption. Long pieces. Short pieces. Funny. Serious. All full of heart, passion, and honesty. It all takes priority for me over anything I might post online because those messages are coming straight from my heart and aren’t meant to be shared with just anyone. That writing takes longer because it matters more to me than any other writing I might do right now. Where does that writing take place?

My heart. And I can’t take a picture of that.