Your Writing Spaces: Anywhere!

In the second Writing Space article from the Fuel Your Writing community, writer and filmmaker Eric Kuentz takes us through his many spaces.

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Sofa

Right now I am sitting on my sofa doing a little afternoon work of editing a wedding video. Waiting for the computer to render, I have some more down time. Not a lot, but brief moments here and there. Within these half-painted walls (the work in a house is never finished), the spark of inspiration comes from the comforts of home. Even the home that is in progress, I can relax and let my guard down here. I can be open and vulnerable and let my imagination wander.

I see a teaser poster from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace on my wall: a young boy walking in front of his desert hovel home; his shadow that of his menacing future. How deeply this imagery resonates with me. What does this say about fate and destiny? What does this say about the boy?s character, his morality? What does this say about change and control? I am surrounded by art objects that inspire me, whether from my DVD collection frequently playing in the background or the decorations and bobbles around my home. I am comfortable here, I am surrounded by inspiration: the objects I have selected to represent my life.

Counter

Right now I am sitting at work with my personal laptop propped up on the counter next to me. In my day job I work in customer service waiting for the phone to ring. This gives me some time to write, but not as much as I would like. From time to time I have to run out and assist college professors with their technical troubles. It?s not the most interesting work, but it pays the bills.

Staring at an empty Word document I am reminded of the barren walls that surround me, the eggshell beige: enough color to remind you that you are alive, but not enough to feel like anything but a prison. The spark of inspiration here comes from the human element. I have met some interesting people here, some real characters: a supervisor who speaks only in movie quotes; a manager who is overly flamboyant but androgynous in his relationships; the guy in the mailroom who uses the coffee pot as his therapist; the professor with the handlebar mustache, cowboy boots, and proclivity for the macabre; the Early Childhood Education instructor who used to be a marine drill sergeant. As institutionalized as I am here, I am surrounded by inspiration. And then the phone rings.

Coffee House

Right now I am sitting at the local coffee house at a plywood and aluminum table typing as I sip on my fruit-flavored iced tea. I have decided to steal a rare moment for myself. The flirting young couple in the comfy, velvet chairs behind me are completely ignoring their once-hot lattes. The cute girl behind the counter is having a rough day, as indicated by the sadness in her eyes and the slump of her shoulders when she thinks no one is watching, but she greets each customer with an excited smile regardless. Many unique people come and go here; this is a great place to observe human behavior.

Pretending to focus on my work, I spy on each and every customer looking to fill their need for a social-status enhancing over-priced caffeine fix. I overhear a mother negotiating with her young son as she buys herself a muffin, probably the first food she’s had since breakfast. I witness a young urban professional chatter away to himself, only later noticing the Bluetooth shooting from his ear. A business meeting to my left is going poorly, but they keep rustling through their legal pads of chicken-scratch hoping to seem on top of things. Many college students are here working on papers, clicking away on their laptop keys… or are they here spying as I am? I keep to myself, taking in my surroundings. I am inspired by all the different encounters I am having, without anyone else knowing.

Porch

Right now I am sitting on my porch, basking in the sunlight (a rare occasion in Cleveland, Ohio), about to head inside as the glare is making it hard to see the computer screen. The birds around me sing, the squirrels dance, the rabbits pounce and play their game of tag. You never know the kind of wildlife you may see in the suburbs. It is resilient. It is beautiful.

I find it hard to concentrate on my work here, surrounded by so much beauty; beauty only when I choose to look for it beyond the ordinary surface view of unfinished yard work and pothole-filled roads. But with so much going on simply looking past the surface, I am inspired.

The Anywhere Space

“Wherever I go, there I am,” according to an unknown source, possible Confucius. And wherever I may be I find to be a great place to work and to write. My talents go with me wherever I go; out of obligation so does my work; out of convenience so does my writing.

I never know what the world is going to bring or where life will take me, and sometimes that organic flow of consistently new inspiration is exactly what I need.

“The world is my oyster.” – Shakespeare

The world is my laboratory.
The world is my office.
The world is my inspiration.

The world is my Writing Space.

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Do you identify with Eric’s view of the Writing Space? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. And please – write about your own Writing Spaces and send it our way!

Images courtesy of the author.