Set the tone for writing

Hello everyone!

Today I want to discuss what settings I like to surround myself with when I’m writing. I believe the setting a person chooses when writing can play a significant role in their writing process, or at least it does for me. However, I don’t always need the perfect lighting or playlist to dip into my creative side, but I do prefer to set the tone when I can.

So, I’ll start with how I like things to look. If it’s late at night, turn off the lights, light a candle, and occasionally turn on some color changing LED lights. I find that the colorful lighting, in contrast to the rest of my dark surroundings, gets me in the right head space. Bright overhead lights beaming down on me are fine if I don’t have a choice in the matter of course. 

I also feel really tapped into my creative side when I’m out in nature. I’ve written on the beach, a lake, and multiple times when I’ve been camping. The beauty of being outside, smelling the fresh air, and the soft chirps or buzzes flying around put me at ease. It definitely beats being inside my apartment hearing sirens outside, or neighbors honking at one another in the parking lot. When I’m outside, surrounded by different shades of leaves with my bare feet planted in the grass, I can actually think clearly. Nature is one of the most grounding places I can be when writing. 

I know I mentioned this in a past post on my blog, but music plays a big part in my setting. I turn on a custom playlist I created for the particular project I’m working on to play while I get to work. I have more custom writing playlists than I am willing to admit. I make most of my custom playlists private so my friends don’t tease me about the obscene amount of music I’ve accumulated for different writing projects. 

This might seem like a simple thing to use in my setting, but I find it important: I always make sure I have water beside me, and a cup of coffee or tea. My favorite tea is hibiscus with a little bit of honey. It’s a way to treat myself to some self care while writing, rather than completely neglecting myself as I type away for who knows how long. Plus, I have a mild addiction to coffee, so I always make sure to have some nearby in case of a caffeine emergency. 

The last thing I will mention about my desired setting is what I choose to wear. I don’t think this is anything special, but I always like to make sure what I’m wearing is comfortable, but not pajamas. I typically go for a pair of loose fitted shorts and t-shirt. Sometimes I wear a pair of slippers or fuzzy socks depending on what time of year it is. Right now it’s August, so it’s a bit too hot for slippers or fuzzy socks. Sometimes it’s even too hot for a t-shirt, so I trade that for a tank top. 

Well, that is all I have to share about what setting I like to put myself in when I’m writing or tapping into anything that requires my mind to be creative. If anyone who reads this has any special ways they set the tone for their writing I would love to hear all about it! If you share similar habits to me with your setting, I’d love to know! 

Thank you to anyone who checked out this post and I hope to have you come back to visit in the future! Bye for now!