Eneh Akpan Writes: In A Place Of Our Own

Sunday, October 31, 2010

In A Place Of Our Own

One of our deepest needs as individuals is to have that special slot we can call our own. You know, sort of an emotional wiggle room where we explore our more homely selves or we explode into a million shining details of genius. A refuge we crawl into and turn our backs to the rest of the universe.

Deep within the caverns of our nature, there is a place we all go when we need a hideaway from distractions. For the writer as for every man.

Providence gave us hearts, besides other reasons, as a retreat, an alcove to unwind in utter abandonment. In that we possess all liberties to explore, to the minutest detail, our own private universes with all the interruptions of this world muffled.

We cannot deny it, that our subtlest inventions are most tempted to swim upstream and break surface when we dally in the belly of the great alone. We climb higher when we reach deeper into the depths of solitude. And it's true what they say, "Everybody deserves a day away from hassles", or something like that.

As writers we owe it to our muse, a sense of duty and we are much obliged to fulfill it. Set a date to carve out a vital writing space – some place where our muse can explode, the cauldron of juices boil over and where we can find the desired calm to run down the day's activities. A nook where we are most at home with our real self. Experienced writers have said it; Most of us do our best writing in a place of our own.

You can start by moving that writing desk of yours to some place that offers a nice view, by a window possibly. CREATE a space you can really call your "writing space" and start fitting in stuff that can boost your literary ego. Objects and articles that can feed itchy fingers. A queer shaped mug filled with assorted pens and colorful pencils; a bulletin board; or even a bookshelf and so on. Try to save up enough money and at the end of every month add one more item to your library collections.

Training your senses to respect your quiet place brings with it a kind of dignity. You can't shake the feeling that you are a writer when you approach that spot.

Whatever triggers your juices ought to be in your writing room or top the list in your budget. This is one piece you can't sweep under the rug and look the other way. If you can straddle that line sure you can hold your breath 'cause in a minute, you'll look back and find the clouds are far, far behind you.

Keep your pen bleeding.

Akpan