Welcome Back!

Okay, so yes, I just welcomed myself back to my own blog. I'd love to say that I've spent these past 4-ish months discovering myself in a far away place or working hard after a crazy promotion or really anything exciting -- but nope, I just took a break for no real reason. If you scroll back a bit down the page, or click here, you may have already seen the writing on the wall. I could feel my creativity dying, which is actually a pretty terrifying feeling. One of my biggest self-proclaimed assets is my spark. Whether it's a tiny victory or a really big one, I can have a massive spark that ignites a whole project into action. And since I wasn't feeling that spark, I couldn't really keep going.

Now that I'm done tooting my own horn (beep-beeeeep), Id' like to give you a low down on my plan for this blog:

• Much like most bloggers are supposed to do, I'm going to write.
• I've already committed myself for at least 10 new posts, with an ongoing list of things that I want to write about.
• To prove the above statement, here are 3 topics: wisdom teeth, Ebola and the Gold's Gym motto. Yup, going to be a ride.
• I may even renew my domain name, but I've got a healthy amount of time to decide if I'm ready for another year-long commitment.
• I'm going to diversify my topics. Since I'm not fresh out of college (eek, nobody likes you when you're 23, right?), I don't think its pertinent to focus on transition, as this is like my "real life" now, I guess.

So that's my commitment to this, so please stay tuned! I hope your thoughts aren't "Oh shit, I thought we got rid of her."

Creativity Hiatus

My blog as fallen silent as of late, which is weird because I think of it often. Almost once a day, I think boy, I really need to write. But I couldn't. And I have no idea why. Can creativity just take a break? I've had tremendous writers block, where every topic I wanted to talk about just simply didn't feel right. One of my mentors at my new job left me with the parting wisdom of: If it feels right, then it probably does. If it doesn't feel right, then it isn't. Somehow writing hasn't felt right lately, and it's impossible for me to pinpoint why.

I used to come home everyday with a list of topics that would make great blog posts. At any time, there would be three to five ideas written up, with specific examples, that I would just need to recount for the post. As of late, nothing has felt "written," and I didn't want to force it. Everything used to inspire me and make me want to share it, and now everything feels like something I'd like to internalize and store away.

But hopefully the freeze is starting to thaw. Nothing is worse than feeling like one of your passions is losing its fire. Ever since I was in first grade, I loved to write. It can't die this quickly.

And I think that is the significance that tomorrow's blog post holds for me. A spark reminded me of my passion. Pure, elated, childish passion, which makes you feel like you can change the world. And I am so excited to share it with you all tomorrow.

Making my Office More Conducive to My Creativity

I do some of my best thinking in some pretty identifiable places. I know myself well enough to know that when I need to think about an important matter I need to get to a certain place. Furthermore, I know where I need to go to feel most creative. My office desk doesn't fall into either of these categories. That made me think:

What if I could make my office more like all of my most intellectually stimulating zones?

The Shower

Hands down, if I need to clear my head or make a major decision, I take a shower. Naturally, I wanted to contemplate why the shower is such a good place for me to think, so I got in the shower. Here's the list of answers I came up with:

• I am alone with my thoughts.
• There are no distractions.
• I feel safe.
• I'm relaxed.
• I'm warm.
• I'm naked.

(The last one, I'm not sure actually helps my thought process, but it does make me comfier.)

My Bed

My bed is where I come up with all my inane, crazy, creative ideas that inspire me to actually take action on something. While my most practical ideas happen in the shower, my best and most inspired ideas happen in those moments right before I go to sleep, or right when I wake up. Why?

• I am alone with my thoughts.
• There are no distractions.
• I feel safe.
• I'm relaxed.
• I'm warm.
• I'm naked.

But what perplexes me most is why the shower and bed have different affects on my cognition. You would think that since the list is identical, the shower and bed would have the same effect, but they definitely do not. I'm thinking it is the state of mind I am in more than where I am.

So, how would I make my office more similar to my favorite thinking zones?

Is that even a question? Obviously I need a bed and a shower in my office. Or better yet, I can just work from home, since just any bed won't be the same.

Or maybe I can find a way to replicate the sentiments of safety within my own office, which might be a more practical answer.