In an Altered State of Mind

I've been told that all creativity comes from being in an altered state of mind. I can believe it. Any time I come up with a good idea, I'm usually not thinking straight.

My ideas come from one of three places. One is when going to sleep. If I'm lying in bed, starting to nod off, all sorts of crazy thoughts go through my head (we actually start dreaming before we physically fall asleep). Another is the shower. I hear that the water hitting the head stimulates the brain. Whatever the reason, standing in a very small area with my eyes closed and water pouring down calms me and makes my mind wander. The last place is simply staring off into space. This can also be called being lost in thought. It's when I'm so focused on an idea or series of ideas that I lose all track of the real world. It's a nice place to visit, though I wouldn't want to live there.

I write best in the night time. Being particularly tired or sleep-deprived isn't helpful, but I do know that as the night progresses, my mind works differently than it does while the sun is up. In the day, all I can think about is getting work done, like doing chores and finishing a to do list. At night, I am free to explore and wonder, which is perfect for writing.

However, although creativity may come from an altered state of mind, not every altered state is productive. I can't write while I'm drunk. Many classmates could only write while drunk. F. Scott Fitzgerald was notorious for it. However, I have never had success with it. Being drunk maks me want to do things, not write things. I don't come up with ideas and I can't explore ideas I already have.

I don't advocate using any drugs (including alcohol and tobacco), but I do recognize that a writer needs some altered state to write. I hope you can find a healthy one.