This summer, my son Kyler and I created an oasis (what we call the awaysis) in our backyard. It was a spot lovingly chosen under an apple tree and looks back into the woods behind our house. We have a huge variety of birds that visit (hummingbirds, and the Red-Tailed hawk being my favorites). There are flowers, butterflies and dragonflies. Kyler and I hung wind chimes, geraniums, and purchased the best glass top writing table we could find. We set up two chairs for the table and two lounge chairs for relaxed reading. This place is our escape. This place is where we go to do our writing and thinking . . . and a bit of wine drinking.

There are no gadgets allowed in our awaysis. Cell phones are not permitted. I bring my laptop for writing, of course, but communications out in the awaysis are at a minimum. It was not unusual for us to go out there at 10 am and stay until 10 pm. So in love with this place, we even acquired solar lighting to lighten the night.

Yesterday was a near perfect day. Beautiful September afternoon, warm weather, blue skies and a slight breeze. The leaves start to fall from the trees now and as I watched them drift to the ground it got me thinking . . . Where are we to go now, when winter arrives?

There are a number of places I can go to write. Because I work from home, finding alternative locations are important for creativity. Local coffee shops and pubs are good, as is the library. But nowhere do I find the peace and creativity that I find in our awaysis.

Kyler suggested that we move the table over near the fire pit so that we can light a fire and be warm there, but I can’t quite imagine going out and writing with frozen fingers on a February afternoon. Oh, what I would give to have a cabin, barn or even a garage to retreat to for winter writing. Maybe I ask for too much. Maybe the awaysis was just magical.

I’m completely convinced that every creative person needs a space to call their own. It doesn’t need to be an oasis, such as ours, but it needs to be a space where creativity can find you. A place of solitude and no interruption. I’m thinking that I’ll need to reinvent my office inside my house. I have never been able to write there. My office is the place where work happens, paperwork is performed and bills are paid. My office served me well as a graphic designer but it is not a writer’s sanctuary.

So as colder weather approaches, I search for my sanctuary. Plans for today are to reinvent my office space . . . some nice poster art for the walls, changing up the desk location and moving my lounge chair closer to the window that views our awaysis. It can be done, this reinvention of my creative space. It just takes a little thought and love.