Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Summertime Means Overdrive!

Back to the Grind Coffee House-Riverside, CA

I usually don't write during the daytime from August to June because I am a homeschool mom and my kids take up all day.  But once summer rolls around, all bets are off.

I love summer because it is my most productive time as a writer. We  live in the dessert so going out during the day is not a fun experience anyway. As a result we tend to live like vampires out here in the Inland Empire. Its common to see parks empty until the sun starts to dip below the horizon. It gets over 100 degrees here so we adjust.

So I switch from a night owl to a day worker for three months out of the year. The advantage to this is I tend to have coffee houses to myself as they tend to get busy after people get off of work. I recently discovered one that I really like. It has that old coffee house feel that I so missed from my college days.

My husband I used to go and study at one in Oceanside that was so supportive of local talent that you really felt connected to the community.  Artists, musicians, poets, and yes...even authors were the bulk of the clientele and it was fabulous.

There's a coffee house I visited recently in a nearby city that reminded me of those beloved beginnings. I was running errands at the courthouse and wanted to grab a bite to eat. Problem is that not a lot of places serve vegan fair and so I wasn't hopeful. Still, I found a little place and was pleasantly surprised!

Back to the Grind Coffee House was such a throwback to my old writing days that I just had to share
it. They have a cute loft for open mic nights, a basement where a writing group meets, and tons of original art around. There are vintage typewriters and tons of books...everywhere.  Not to mention a disco ball, which, given the décor, was not out of place at all.

I hope to make it out there to write quite often this summer. The mellow beats, awesome food (its not all plant based), and the creative atmosphere really drew me in.

Where do you find you are most creative? Do you write at the beach? In a tiny hidey hole in your own home? Wherever you can?  I'd love to hear about it.