No easy answers

I am not sure whether I should envy or despair of people who have predictable creative cycles. ” I always do my best work in the——–.” Well, I always do my best work whenever.

I know for some people it’s ritual that makes the whole thing hang together. They wear a certain pair of socks. Then get the writing tools all lined up, or make sure the coffee pot is perking. At one time in the late 1960’s I was convinced that my creativity was tied to a certain woman I was in a relationship with. I was disabused of this when the relationship ended, and I had to grapple with life and creating without her.

But it is true for me that the atmosphere is essential. My pets, my wife, and my kids are all part of my support network that enables my comfort level. That comfort zone allows the juices to cook. The fact that I am satisfied with my life at home, energizes me.

But time of day? Well, not at night. If I have to bandsaw out a blank, run a sander, or whack away with the mallet I won’t be popular with the family or the neighbors. It’s not a great loss.

I’ll leave the two AM sessions to me in the dining room playing guitar, recalling the old days on the road, and being happy that they are gone.