A wise man once indicated that you should write about the things that you are the most familiar with (or are dearest to your heart) because they would be the most authentic things you could ever say. I tend to agree with that sentiment and, being a dabbler in words myself, I’d like to approach the subject of personal productivity based on the perspective I’ve reached as a writer.

For me, as for many other writers, ritual is very important because the act of repetition helps to draw the creative aspects to the surface, perhaps enhancing the alpha waves of the mind and allowing free expression to come forth. I accomplish this in a few different ways. Firstly, I need a cup of tea next to the computer (for me, not for the computer), and it should be Tetley’s British Blend with a wee splash of milk. The mug needs to meet the fine balance of containing enough tea to satisfy while not being overly large so that the nectar contained therein will go cold before consumption.

Secondly, there shall be music. While I could probably subsist on an exclusive diet of the Kinks (or the battling Kinks siblings Ray and Dave Davies), I enjoy tuning into an online station portal such as Pandora so I may quickly allow the muse to take me to the Who, the Beatles, the Stones, and for those manic and bouncy moments, Paul Revere and the Raiders. I try not to stray beyond these basic channels because I don’t wish to be drawn into the music; I simply wish it to be my vehicle while working.

Lastly, there is the weather. Since my writing nook is situated in an upper floor room that faces westward (and the Pacific Ocean is but a mile distant from where I sit and work) I am treated to a parade of atmospheric treats that I draw from. Last week I not only enjoyed a hailstorm, there was also a thunderstorm and even moments of shining sun with birdsong.

Combining all of these elements with the determination to sit down at the computer at roughly the same time every day and to write (whether or not I have anything pressing to say) allows me to slip very quickly and comfortably into a highly productive mode. Once I am in the productive mode I find that ideas and subjects will begin to percolate to the surface, because I have created the playing field that is most conducive for these phantoms to be given solid form. Ritual and repetition, oddly enough, yield originality.

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