“Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.”
—Edith Wharton
At first, the woman didn’t know what to make of the house. It was too big, too imposing for her taste. She preferred smaller, cozier homes, ones that she could curl up in with a good book and a hot cup of tea. But this place called to her, whispered secrets in her ear that she couldn’t ignore. It wanted her to write, to pour out her heart and soul onto its pages.
So she tried, at first. But it was no use. The words wouldn’t come. She blamed the house at first, convinced that it was hexing her somehow and preventing her from writing. But then she realized that it wasn’t the house itself that was causing the problem – it was where the house sat.
The view from the window showed nothing but trees, tall and looming like sentinels guarding the entrance to a secret kingdom. The woman knew that if she could find a way to move the house or change its location, then maybe she could finally start writing again.
But moving a house is no easy task, especially one as big as this one. So the woman resigned herself to living in this drafty old place until she finally found the inspiration she needed. And slowly but surely, over time, the view from the window changed things inside of her – it allowed new ideas and stories to flow inwards until they were spilling out onto paper once more.
What role does geography have in the creative process? What conditions must exist before a certain site becomes synonymous with a new creation? Is it possible for a writer's inner perspective to shift based on what they see outside their window? The question is, what goes in. If a person lives in a nice enough house, maybe they'll be inspired to write. Does it have the potential to destroy a writer? How significant is one's physical location as a writer?
It's said that where you are matters when it comes to creativity. That the surroundings, the view, and the environment all have an impact on what flows from your pen (or your keyboard). But is this really true?
I've always been skeptical of this claim. I mean, how can where you are possibly dictate what comes out of you? It just doesn't make sense. And yet, there are so many examples of authors who write in specific places that it's hard to argue against it.
Take JK Rowling, for example. She wrote most of the Harry Potter series in a coffee shop near her home. The coffee shop was called The Elephant House, and it had a large window that overlooked Edinburgh Castle. According to Rowling, the view from the window was one of her main inspirations for writing the books.
Or take Ernest Hemingway. He famously wrote in a small room at his home in Key West, Florida. The room had no air conditioning and got extremely hot during the day, but Hemingway refused to move because he loved the light and views from the windows so much.
And then there's William Faulkner, who wrote most of his novels at Rowan Oak—a house he owned in Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner would often sit on the front porch or in his office overlooking a beautiful garden, and he said that these views were some of his main sources of inspiration.
Dickinson wrote some of the most beautiful and enduring poetry from a cherry writing desk in her room. From this spot, she could observe Mount Holyoke Range outside her window - and with it came birdsong, children's laughter, carriage wheels on cobblestone streets below. Here Dickinson penned almost 1800 poetic masterpieces accompanied by thousands of letters linking herself to the world beyond.
Exploring the creative space of storytelling, Alice Munro envisioned a story as an inviting place to wander and settle. Every writer starts with constructing this house of words; something special is created when experienced writers like Margaret Atwood come together in it! Through memorable gatherings such as Sheila's party where Atwood read her horoscope on the floor, Munro’s home was alive with warmth that transcended from great minds into captivating stories.
1960 marked a new milestone in Nigerian history; not only had the country become independent from its former colonizer, but also it saw the establishment of its inaugural university. Professor Adichie's father was one of those who shaped this vision and his rise through academic ranks took him and his family to progressively more splendid homes on campus - where they enjoyed many social gatherings beneath their roof at 305. It is here that Chimamanda found her creative spark, as she often discovered hidden stories while soaking away within her bathroom!
Drawing inspiration from her travels in Berlin, Margaret Atwood crafted The Handmaid's Tale by hand on yellow legal notepads before typing it up with a large German-keyboard manual typewriter. She then personalized the manuscript even further with notes written directly onto the pages and sought help from a professional typist to bring her creation full circle. It wasn't until she returned home to Canada (and eventually Alabama) that this award-winning masterpiece was complete!
Powell Library, located on the UCLA campus and built in a classic Romanesque Revival style at the end of the 1920s, is much more than your average library. It was also where Ray Bradbury crafted his now-famous work "Fahrenheit 451" with ambition simply dripping from every dime he spent - that's right: $9.80! Rumor has it you can still feel his creative energy emanating through its stacks today.
In 1965, Bob Dylan wrote his classic "Visions of Johanna" at the storied Chelsea Hotel while Arthur C. Clarke crafted a sci-fi masterpiece: 2001: A Space Odyssey. While past guests indulged in every distraction imaginable, Clarke worked undisturbed on crackers and pâté - yet not without some fun! He would occasionally entertain himself by zapping pedestrians with laser beams from far above the sidewalk below.
This old, stoic building provided Franz Kafka with a sanctuary - far removed from the bustling life of Prague's Old Town. When darkness fell, its low ceilings and tight windows offered protection for his contemplations on pain and suffering as he crafted some of his most celebrated works in this foreboding refuge.
During her year and a half in Syracuse, Toni Morrison refused to accept the typical presentation of African American history. She bravely took on the challenge to revise textbooks during work hours while simultaneously caring for her family at night - an epitome of strength vibing through even more extraordinary circumstances! By 1970 The Bluest Eye was published with no one by Toni's side aware... that is until New York Times gave it their seal of approval; what ensued right after only proved how incredible she truly is!
Amid the hustle and bustle of life, full of a range of vibrant experiences, Maya Angelou found solace in hotel rooms; her own special secret spot away from it all. Here she would take to writing literature born out of those chaotic moments that filled up most days - but with the added luxurious touch (and comfort) provided by sherry! For Angelou solitude was an unknown beauty- both lonely yet wonderful at once.
Virginia Woolf understood the importance of a space where she could write without interruption. With her opulent writing lodge in Monk's House, Virginia was able to channel her creativity and bring forth some of the most remarkable works ever written by an author - for her financial stability posed no difficulty at all.
Mark Twain reveled in the creative sanctuary his sister-in-law provided him, allowing for grand visions to arise from within this humble Finger Lakes study. Inside these four walls Twain conjured landscapes of cats bounding amongst thunderstorms and cigar smoke billowing out as he wrote stories that would become timeless classics.
David Thoreau's experience at Walden Pond can be seen as a unique act of performance art - harmoniously combining facts, metaphors and symbols to deliver his powerful message. The passionate pencil-maker's son sought justice through disobedience while actively striving for environmental protection during an era when such concerns were dismissed. Undoubtedly Thoreau is remembered today not only as the first modern eco-warrior but also the founder of civil disobedience who advanced human freedom with every challenge he faced in life!
After an arduous forty-eight hour journey, George Orwell was rewarded with the tranquil island of Jura. There he found Barnhill - a secluded farmhouse offering him the peace and solitude he sought to finish his masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four. From his window in that musty bedroom satiated by kerosene smoke and black tobacco fumes, Mr. Orwell contemplated Scotland's coast on fine days while crafting literature which would shape our view of society for generations to come all from behind hazy panes looking out across rolling moors below at Jura Sound stretching as far as the eye could see...
With a dizzying array of classic literature cramming the shelves and an antique walnut table as his desk, Rudyard Kipling’s study was far from 'tidy'. Bursting with creativity yet strewn with texts by Jane Austen, Walter Scott & Samuel Pepys - not to mention crumpled paper around his trash can - it housed true inspiration. His chair propped up on blocks for elevation above its 17th Century surface...only added to this writerly wonderland!
William Burroughs' four-year stay at the Hotel El Muniria would have been mysterious enough, even without its shrouded rumors. The locals called him 'el hombre invisible,' due to his silent and almost spectral presence - always in trench coat and fedora as he drifted through an opiate fog that often filled Room 9's tiny walled garden which, though accessible, was rarely visited by this reclusive figure.
Ernest and Pauline Hemingway built a storybook life in this place, raising their two sons from 1931 to 1939. While Ernest often wrote in his high-set studio above the former carriage house—standing at top speed on a typewriter as if he were sprinting for time—Pauline stayed rooted here with her boys until 1951 when she passed away. In 1940, after falling out of love with Pauline but before deepening one with Martha Gellhorn - off went Papa Hem into Cuba's sunsets...
With a large house suited to hosting up to twelve guests and his self-contained writing apartment, James Baldwin had the perfect setup for authoring novels without interruption. However, when revisions were needed he would often take them outside beneath the open sky at a rustic wooden table where ideas could flow freely.
Inspired by a shared ambition to revive Irish culture, Gogarty and James Joyce planned to make the tower their homebase. However, it seemed fate had other ideas; only 6 days after moving in together, Joyce and his partner Nora Barnacle sailed away from Ireland - never to return. Ulysses characters Buck Mulligan & Haines were based on Gogarty & Trench respectively: two friends who came with creative vision but ultimately left behind empty dreams of 'hellenizing' Ireland!
So does place really matter when it comes to creativity? I'm not sure if there's a definitive answer to that question, but I think it's worth exploring further. After all, if we can learn how to tap into our creative potential by finding or using the right environment/location/place, then maybe we can write better stories and become more productive writers overall.