Have you gotten to spend any time at the beach or near a body of water this summer?
As a snowbird, I’m fortunate to live near the water at my home in Michigan as well as my home in Florida. It’s great not only for kicking back and sipping a glass of wine as the sun slips away into the evening; I also find being near the water to be an effective place to work.
I finished my first draft of Deep Cover Jack this summer while working by the water. Editing my new book Blood Trails beside Lake Michigan isn’t too shabby, either. It’s probably not nearly as glamorous as it sounds; it often involves eating cold pizza in loungewear and getting up way too early to power through the latest round of writer’s block.
Still, there’s something reassuring about being near the water.
As I told you this week, John D. MacDonald had both of his Sarasota, Florida homes on the beach, too. He loved Florida so much, he lived on a peninsula to maximize his view of the tropical landscape. He did his writing from a guest house overlooking the property.
What is it about the water?
I did a little research, and found out it’s not just John D. and me who do our best work seaside. As usual, science comes into play:
- According to Psych Central, the sound of waves changes the pattern of brainwaves, lulling us into relaxation.
- We actually become more alert in the sea air. Something about negatively charged ions fighting off free radicals. I won’t attempt to explain it, nor to pretend I fully understand it. But I believe it!
- Aquatic hues are supposed to have a sort of “brain charging” power:
“We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken.” -Wallace J. Nichols in Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do
- The simplicity of the appearance of the water gives our minds space to work on other things.Like, say, editing mystery novels??
You guessed it! I’m off to gaze into the water ahead of finishing another round of edits. I hope you get to enjoy some aquatic hues sometime in the near future!
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