Do I Need A Tin-Foil Hat?
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006I have a problem — my best ideas and best writing come to me at night. LATE at night. When I SHOULD be sleeping.
Such was the case a few nights ago when I stayed up late tweaking my novel, Consumption, just a bit more. Between about 3:30 and 4:30 AM, I seemed to find solutions to some problems in one of the sections. I made changes, and even now, while I’m awake and alert, I’m still pleased with the results.
So what’s the difference? Why can I write so much better late at night? Do I need to wait until the noise of the nation becomes quieter? Until most of America is asleep? Is the interference in my thinking caused by a daytime bombardment of our society’s chatting, stressing, horn-honking, cursing, laughing, siren-sounding, music-playing, and TV broadcasting — in short, by all of our NOISE?
Getting creative, I fashioned a tin-foil hat (a tin-foil helmet actually — all the better for any high-speed interference colliding with my head) but noticed that it didn’t really match anything in my closet. I had to find a better solution…
After much contemplation, I realized that my lack of writing focus isn’t a problem of outer noise; rather, it’s a consequence of inner clamor — a loud and ceaseless collection of inner shoulds. So many shoulds striking me during daylight hours — you should tidy up, you should go to the store, you should clean up the kitchen (to the power of 50 for that one).
But late at night, the shoulds all just band together into a singular yell: “YOU SHOULD GO TO BED.” And caffeine is kryptonite to that one. So after some late-night coffee, silence arrives and then (finally and thankfully) I start to hear my own words. Nice.
So really, I think I just need to manage my daytime shoulds better (no tin-foil helmet required after all). I need to remind myself that the time I spend at the keyboard is time well spent. I need to bolster, and listen to, the voice that tells me throughout the day: “YOU SHOULD BE WRITING!”
Now, what should I do with my beautifully crafted helmet? E-Bay perhaps? Let me give that some thought…wait, I SHOULD BE WRITING!
July 4th, 2006 at 7:11 pm
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda…
Reminfds me of an old song. Since your a writer, maybe you can write those thoughts down, then let them go (like a buddhist monk in a toilet cubicle). Maybe those thoughts grow up to be inspirational blog posts or possible stories or plots!
You never know what will happen when you write those down!
Cool thing with the helmet! Write on!
July 4th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Your tin-foil helmet is beautiful!
July 4th, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Hi Taorist,
I hadn’t thought of the buddhist-monk-in-a-toilet-cubicle angle…hmm…interesting.
Thanks for sharing your thought,
Cuileann
July 4th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Hi Heather,
Thanks for the compliment! Now I just have to design a beautiful tin-foil dress to match.
Nice to hear from you,
Cuileann
July 4th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
I hate typos, especially if they’re mine.
Sorry Cuil.
July 4th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
I can relate. My typos drive me crazy, too.
Cuileann
July 5th, 2006 at 12:05 am
But if you only had a tin foil leisure suit to match the hat …. sorry couldn`t resist … thanks for an interesting blog .. I`m glad I surfed by!
Cheers!
Sue
July 5th, 2006 at 1:04 am
Hi Sue,
I’m glad you found the site, and I like your leisure suit suggestion — both functional and comfortable!
Cheers!
Cuileann
July 6th, 2006 at 1:29 am
ANOTHER use for tin foil hats:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/boingboing/iBag?m=2376
July 6th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
That’s hilarious, Taorist!
Thanks for the link!
Cuileann
July 14th, 2006 at 11:50 am
This is so very true for me. My brain is more active when the world gets dark and quite, then in the light hours.
July 14th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Hi Cat!
Thanks for letting me know that you, too, find inspiration at night. There’s got to be a more sleep-friendly way!
Best wishes for creativity!
Cuileann
July 14th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Congratulations! You’re in Liz’ SOB Cafe!
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/sob-business-cafe-07-14-2006/
July 14th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
Thanks for your congrats, Taorist! It was a nice treat to see a link there today.
Cheers!
Cuileann
July 14th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
Everytime I hear about tin foil hats I think of the movie Signs. I guess you won’t have to wory about aliens reading your thoughts either!
July 14th, 2006 at 10:59 pm
Ha! That’s too funny, Chris! I had forgotten about that movie until now!
Thanks for the laugh!
Cuileann
September 15th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
[…] Cuileann McKenzie offers a creative solution for keeping track of fleeting ideas. […]
December 13th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Hi Cuileann,
I just came across your blog. I totally have that same experience. I have set aside a day to write and will not get anything down until after 10pm. I remember in school when I would stay up late to study for finals I would always have my best stories ideas and have to decide to write or keep studying. I think you are correct late at night all the junk clears out of brains and our more creative side takes over.