Charlie asks: "If you could turn any room or building in the world into your writing studio, what would you choose and why?"
Take a look at these cottages ... one of these (preferably the Beach Cottage, though I'll take any of 'em) comes pretty darn close to my answer. At least at this moment. This is like asking what's my favorite book -- I suspect I'll have a different answer if you ask me in a month.
Why here? Because the thought of being able to look up from writing and see the ocean makes me sigh dreamily. I do a lot of staring into space when I'm writing, and the constant-yet-constantly-changing view of the water would, I think, be perfect. Enough change and movement to stimulate me, but not so much that I'd get distracted and watch instead of writing. Also, I could step out the door and walk on the beach when I needed to get some air, or sit outside and write on nice days. Having lived all my life in the Midwest, the thought of being next to the ocean (okay, the bay, but close enough) makes me all swoony. My two favorite vacation places (Provincetown and Maui) are both ocean-y places, and the smell of salt air makes me feel so awake.
Someday maybe I'll get a little grant and I can rent a place like this for a month and have a little writing retreat. (I daydream of a month-long writing retreat -- that's probably the longest I could manage to get off work -- but it won't happen as long as I have a geriatric, diabetic cat to take care of. After he's gone, mind you I'm in no hurry for that to happen, I might be able to take the other cat to my mom's for a month of being spoiled & playing with her other cats while I zip off to a writing retreat somewhere. But even then, a place like these cottages will be out of reach financially ... but there are a lot of wonderful retreats I could try to get into. It's a favorite dream of mine right now.)
8 comments:
Anne: this is a gorgeous spot.
Lis Sur Mer looks fantastic! I loved the look of the bed in The Shack pushed right up against the windows, with the bay in the background. Mmmmm... the sound of waves...
Have you ever considered the National Park Service's Artist-in-Residence program? The NPS has two cabins on the Cape Cod National Seashore, and they make them available to artists for residencies of varying lengths. In 2003 I was an A-I-R in a tiny little park called Isle Royale in Lake Superior. It was a great experience (and an excellent vacation opportunity for a broke photographer). Maybe a residency in Cape Cod could offer you a slightly more cost-effective retreat than Lis Sur Mer.
-Lainey Dill
Go for it, go for it, go for it! It sounds divine! A drive to the Cape is about two hours (three to P-town) from where I am, but it's just so beautiful I'm sure I'll be taking several day trips this summer.
Peter and Ginger: Yes, it does look wonderful! Sigh. If I were within driving distance of the Cape, I'd spend a lot of days & long weekends thereabouts, for sure. I know P-town is a law unto itself, and I love it there so much, but I'd love to explore the rest of the Cape someday too. I need to win the freakin' lottery.
Lainey, the AIR program is a wonderful idea -- a former teacher of mine, Roger Mitchell, did that once & came away with some wonderful poems. I wonder if a poet-with-no-book would have a chance in hell, though. Someday, someday...
(I really can't travel for more than a week right now -- that's about the longest I dare leave my geriatric diabetic cat, even with a cat sitter. He's earned a little extra care, at almost 18 years old -- so I'm in no hurry for the situation to change! But someday, I will certainly be investigating retreat possibilities.)
the beach would be my second choice--i'm more of a mountain girl right now--but yea, a little shack in the mountains by a river, lots of little critters running around, fresh air, windows, bookshelves, we actually might be moving to the ocean in the near future--jack's lawfirm is thinking about opening up an office on the coast, if they do i want to buy/rent a beach house. you can come visit for as long as you want. :)
I live near a river, with an office at home on the 4rth floor of an apartment that has a window through which the river is in sight. Not the ocean - I grew up on the west coast & I miss the ocean something awful to this day - not the ocean but it's water & it flows & I'm greatful for it.
My dream house would either be a shack on the ocean in Nova Scotia, or a shack on the Gulf Islands in British Columbia - probably the 2nd one first, given the weather's a bit more palatable, & you get mountains thrown into the deal. I'm not really a tropical type, like the ocean where you get the greys & the greens as well as the blues.
Since you mention the idea of renting a cabin for a week or a month, have you considered getting one on a Canadian (or American) river or lake? Me & my partner have done that a couple of times for very reasonable rates - for example last year, we had a cottage with room for 8 (it was just the 2 of us, we took it because it was cheap) on a very secluded lake in Nova Scotia, a lake with only about 10 other cottages on it. We paid 450 dollars for the week, including a small electric boat, a big sunroom giving on the lake where I did my writing, a small deck with a barbeque, & QUIET. We found the place on line, as we've found places in the past. No - not the ocean but way cool if you love the sticks. Also, ocean beaches (too cold to swim in though), were like half an hour's drive from our lake. Eh bien - something to consider!!
Dj
Lis Sur Mer is an amazing retreat for artists. I am a visual artist[mostly photography] and I highly recommend visiting there off season;it is affordable and will definately inspire you. I have been there in the winter and it is quite beautiful and romantic! Lots of artists and writers
live in the area. From one artist to another,go there soon. It is a very special place.
Madelyn: Unfortunately, on my salary "affordable" has a somewhat narrower definition! Sigh. But if I can get a grant, or save up for a couple of years, off-season is a possibility. :)
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