“To be able to write, a woman must have a room of her own.” – Virginia Wolfe

In December of 2009, I moved back to Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) to work on some things with my family. They were living in an apartment at the time, but were supposed to move into a house in January.

Well, that house deal fell through. As did others that followed. Finally, in October of 2010, we moved into a nice-sized house.

From December to October I shared a room with my mother. A small room. This really hurt me creatively. And it wasn’t her fault or mine. But I was used to having a desk and with it certain things organized a certain way to make my life easier.

The 2009-2010 winter was one of the worst KCMO had in 20 years. The sky vomited like a pregnant woman. Going to the library or anywhere else for the matter was absolutely out of the question.

Creative projects like Blue Ships Magazine fell behind just because I couldn’t think properly to organize what I was doing.

I think we can expand Ms. Wolfe’s sentiment to include not just a room, but a space that is conducive to your creativity. This can be anywhere, your room, living room, basement, café, library, park, etc. Or any combination thereof. I may start writing at my desk, but I’ll move all over the house, out of the house, whatever I have to do to concentrate. And whatever you have to have if the background, if it’s music, movies, or complete silence it’s necessary you make sure you have it. Like the detective in Boondock Saints who had to have opera in order to concentrate. We need what we need.

You have to be where your muse is.