I do my coaching and writing work in the best office in the world. Yes, it’s in a fabulous location and has great sunlight that only a corner office can provide. Yes, the women who work in the other rooms in the suite light up the entire space with their presence. They transform lives daily with through healing massage, and do their work with profound humility and grace. Yet, the very best part about where I go to work is that there is a beach two minutes down the road and there are no sidewalks between our building and the beach. I work in New England where ‘beach season’ is, at most, ten weeks long, so most of the time there is a deserted beach two minutes down the road from me.
You might think that a quiet office building would be an ideal location for a writer and coach. Ha. Clearly, you haven’t seen my creative process. In deference to the CPA that works in the office one floor down, and those amazing healers with whom I share walls, I take my creative process outdoors. The cars driving by as I walk to the beach have their windows slammed shut, and the seagulls don’t seem to care what I do at their beach.
The truth is that I sing myself into my work. I move my body, I breathe deeply, and I sing. The bigger the project, the louder the song. Before any big writing can come through, I go through something that looks a bit like what I imagine a Broadway audition entails. Warm-ups first: arm flapping around, vocal exercises, a bit of cheering and whoo-hooing. A little dancing to someone else’s music. Then, when I’m sure no one taller than 4’ 4” is looking, I let ‘er rip. Big sounds that rise up from my belly. Jaw dropped and roof of my mouth raised. I hit notes that make Parakeets flip. And volume? I sing to a stadium of imaginary people.
The singing frees me up. The oxygen feeds my brain. Parts of my right brain are activated as I sing and neurons start firing in new directions. Then, at last, when I am ready write, I head back to that beautiful office space to put pen to paper and fingers on the keyboard, grateful to work in the best office in the world.