Turning Distractions into Writing Material.

It's 8pm on a Wednesday and I'm determined to stay at home. I have a story idea in my head, begging to be outlined. The first paragraph is already falling from my lips. I just need for my fingertips to cooperate. Then, the phone rings. I ignore it. A text alert follows. "Are we still going out tonight?" Why yes. I'd almost forgotten the commitment I made to my social circle. Not that I have to keep it. After all, planning is for stiff people who don't sway outside of their calendars. I move with the flow of my desires. My desire is to get out of the house, write nothing and escape the four walls of my peaceful sanctuary.

I get dressed quickly and fly down 75 to the tunes of Little Dragon, Gucci Mane and Drake. The roads are smooth and a breeze sneaks through my slightly-cracked window.

This all may appear anti-productive. There was a time I would have agreed.

James Norman Hall once said that "Loafing is the most productive part of a writer's life."

Some of my best writing material comes to me when I've stepped away from the process. Conversations with friends, rubbish on the radio, lyrics and people watching are all contributors to my fiction and poetry. Distracting myself with the world has become ritual in my writing process. While I also find comfort and a mass of creativity during a solitary retreat, I welcome the inspiration that reality offers (most times in overwhelming amounts).

The most important thing is to not get swept away in distractions, keep my third eye open and use my experiences to be a better artist.