Where I Write.

[[[     I don't like to be stuffed in a sound-proof room or confined in any other way when I write.  However, while it's true that any amount of noise can ruin my train of thought, I think I do a fine enough job of that on my own in complete silence.  So, when I write, I like to sit in my living room.  In order to be able to think in this space, I kick out anyone that's capable of making noise, which isn't difficult most days because the only other person living with me is my husband and two cats -- and they simply move into another room.  I like to sit on the couch, but not facing forward with my back against the cushions and my feet on the floor the way you're supposed to sit on a couch; I like to sit cross-legged with my back against the right arm so that I'm sitting "sideways" on the seat.  This way, the coffee table is to my right and I can easily set down or pick up the Coca-Cola I'm guaranteed to be drinking and, if I choose to take a break at any point, I can flick the flatscreen on to watch a quick half-hour episode of one of my many recorded television programs.

Usually, the living room is the cleanest room in the house.  This works out well for me because I'm easily stressed and distracted, so if I am surrounded by a mess then I use it as an excuse not to get other obligations completed.  Another added touch that is therapeutic about my living room is the color scheme.  The couch is green and the floors are beige with a black/brown/beige shag rug -- and all the wood furniture is a dark reddish brown color.  Earthy colors relax me and aren't too bright to distract me in any way.  To supplement these calming colors, I light about four or five candles to enhance the ambiance and fill the room with fragrance.  The combination of all of these effects are enough to put me in a writing trance!     ]]]

The most difficult part of writing this description was figuring out how to take myself out of it, which I know I didn't do a good job of completing.  I think that's because I was trying to answer two questions -- where I write and why I write there.  Perhaps the answer to the second question is unnecessary?  But, I didn't know how else to start the piece.  Further, while it's supposed to be about where I write, I didn't know how to describe it without sounding boring and without over-complicating it with additional interesting facts that make my writing space different from anyone else's.  I tried to accomplish this by writing about how I sit and what I drink, but those aren't facts about my space.  I hope I balanced it out so that it's a place piece rather than a personal essay, but I can't very easily tell with this one.