Writing is a tough act. You don’t just sit down with a pen and paper or in front of the computer and expect words to simply come out. Hemingway famously said you don’t just write the words, you bleed them.
If you are writing professionally (yes, that is a thing) or just do it as a hobby, one of your most important requirements is a place where you can breathe, think, and be inspired. For people who write for a living such as those in journalism, advertising, marketing, or public relations, who have to deal with deadlines every day of their lives, finding inspiration is key. Living in a condo makes life easier for writers in this respect because of the many spaces that a condo community can offer.
Tivoli Garden Residences, a lush Asian Tropical community in Mandaluyong City, is perfect for those who are looking for easy ways to find writing inspiration. The property offers a serene retreat from the busy, bustling metropolis. From the privacy of your home to the vast outdoors, there are countless ways to be inspired and motivated.
Own private space
Have you wondered how the rooms of literary heroes looked like? Have you ever wondered where they wrote their best works? A peek into their bedrooms can make us feel a certain kinship with them, as if we knew them and what they were thinking,like having access to their fascinating lives.
Don’t peek for the purpose of designing your room the way they designed theirs. But imagine how they were as people, how they toiled on every page, what their view was, etc. They probably didn’t think at that time that their bedrooms would matter to another generation, but the idea here is to also discover yourself. In designing your condo bedroom, where you’d probably write most of the time to meet a deadline at midnight, find out what you want, what works for you and what doesn’t, and what inspires you the way the beach probably inspired Truman Capote in his simple dwelling at the Hamptons.
Inspiration corner
What is your favorite space in your condo other than your bedroom? What is that one place that makes you feel comfortable and at ease?
Finding inspiration in Tivoli Gardens could be as simple as looking around your unit. Build your own creativity or inspiration corner where you feel you could be most productive. It could be an island in the kitchen if you feel like it. It could be a tiny desk in the corner near a window or a hammock where you could lay back and relax. It could be an easy chair in the balcony. The idea is to have a go-to place that feels comfortable, safe, and familiar.
High on perspective
Most writers sometimes need to feel like they are standing above ground, as if floating, so that their minds and thoughts are free. It is very common to find a writer staring blankly at a void, trying to find the words.
When you seem to be so elusive, try going up the roof deck of Tivoli Gardens. Just the beauty of the cityscape, the lights, the buzzing of cars, and the sky above them will rest your mind and get it ready to work. It is adorned with palm trees and comfortable seating areas with an entire city as your backdrop. It also has a sky lounge where you could sit, sip coffee, and feel the night breeze.
Sky full of stars
One of the benefits of condo living is that you get to enjoy the things that you most likely couldn’t have in your own backyard have you chosen to build your own bungalow. An example would be having your own observatory where you could watch the stars at night.
Iris Observatory can be foundatop the highest tower of Tivoli Gardens. It has an observation deck with telescopes, landscaped walkways, and a promenade. If looking at the stars does not inspire you, we don’t what will.
Drown in inspiration
Being near a body of water such as the beach can make you calmer and more creative. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist, calls it as the people’s “blue mind.” He believes 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.”
But since you can’t drive to a beach every time you need to write, the next best thing is a swimming pool. Condo living means you’ll have a swimming pool right outside your doorstep. On a lazy afternoon, you can sit by the pool deck with your laptop, stare at the blue waters, and listen to its soft movements.
The casual grind
If you are the type that needs some company when you write, you can go on a casual grind at the game room. There are seating areas here where you can write and sip ice cold beer. The sound of friends chatting away and boys bursting in laughter over a game of billiards are in no way distracting to some writers, but keeps their mind active and their fingers typing.
When kids are playing, parents go working
For work-at-home parents, the only thing they’ll need to be able to write is for their kids to be busy. That’s when they get down to work. Their minds are at ease when they know their kids are either sleeping or having fun in a controlled environment.
There’s a children’s recreation space where kids can play and engage with other children. There are simple educational toys around and cute, comfortable chairs where your kids can have fun while you watch over them and work.
Writing is a picnic
Well, not really. But it’s a possibility. How about spreading a picnic blanket under a tree on an open lawn or picnic grounds? Sounds like a scene in a movie, doesn’t it? Snack on some chips, sip some wine or cola, and write away. A scene of greens and lush gardens relaxes the mind and boosts imagination and creativity while you try to find the best words.
Get a brain exercise
Exercise is good for the brain, as many researchers have found. Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki also found that apart from exercise having stress-reducing, memory-enhancing, and mind-focusing properties, it also helps the brain be more productive and creative. Exercise helps people come up with fresh ideas.
And fresh ideas make writing a lot easier. To help your brain produce more creative juices, you can have a morning walk or late night run at the jogging and biking path of Tivoli Gardens. These paths are landscaped so the walk becomes more relaxing. There’s also an indoor gym and a playcourt should you really feel like sweating it out.
There are many ways to find writing inspiration in Tivoli Gardens. Everywhere you look --- from your private space to the ground level community outside—there is always a potential spot for your writing pleasure.