“Mary Oliver used to walk in the woods with a notebook. Walking so inspired her that she kept pens in the trees so if an idea or thought came to her, she’d be able to stop and write it down. Like Mary Oliver, my inspiration almost always occurs while I am walking, not while I am sitting at a stodgy old desk in my messy office where the enemies of thought—phones and computers—lie in wait to distract me. It is while walking that most of my writing takes place. Something about being on the trail in the early morning with the hawks, the owls, and coyotes inspires me. When the ideas begin to flow, and they always do, I jot them down. Without fail, I return home ready to write. If I find myself blocked, I stop, shut everything down, and take another walk to clear my head and ease my frustration. It always works and, in fact, neuroscientists have been able to show a causal link between exercise and creativity. For me, the cool morning air, the empty trail, and the heartbeat of wildlife are integral to my thought processes. It is almost as if my mind has to find openness and freedom first in order for the words to come.”
—Leslie Schwartz, author of The Lost Chapters: Finding Recovery and Renewal One Book at a Time (Blue Rider Press, 2018)