Office space

I saw a quote once that was pretty cool. I'm going to completely ruin in, because a.) I don't remember who said it, and b.) I forget who was in the quote.

But it was about a famous writer who wrote best with his feet in icy water, and a famous composer who thought the smell of slightly rotting apples was great for creativity.

It brings up the question of: What's your ideal creation lab?

Like I've been yelling about, I just went to Richmond to set up a radio show. I took the train, and that's my new favorite office, especially at night. It was the best. It was cozy, made me feel important, was ultra-comfortable, exciting (the traveling part), and only alarming once. A train moving a gazillion miles an hour in the opposite direction on the adjacent track let it's horn off right outside my window. I jumped. But maybe the reason I liked the space so much was because I didn't have wires everywhere. My students will attest to the fact that my studio is always an epic battle of wires vs. man, and the wires appear to be winning handily.

My mom and brothers really have this skill of setting up ideal space. Maybe it's because they take the effort to actually clean house a bit. I don't know. Their aptitude first dawned on me when we were eating dinner one day. I looked around the table, and saw how they had the food on their plates arranged just so, very artistically, and it looked so appetizing. I looked at my plate, and saw a plain pile of spaghetti resembling...well...My studio! When I take the time to set up a nice place to work, it's always worth it. See if it helps you, too. I think a good studio space is vital for world domination. Wow, I really need to get my act together!

Workspace doesn't have to be an actual office. I love taking songwriting safaris to the city or the park. A change of scenery can be really cool! It's fun to set aside a certain time each week or month for field work. I think it would be neat to find a dismal industrial alley, assuming I won't get shot, and sit there for hours to see what songs I could write.

Has anyone seen a marble or five? I seem to be missing a few...

- Josh