Writing in Seattle

Nicknamed "the Emerald City", the City of Seattle has become a Mecca for the independent artist and creative minds of the world. Maybe it's the weather that shuts people in their homes that forces creativity to flow, or maybe it's all the coffee circulating through the city that inspires the masses to pump out works of art while chugging caffeine. Whatever it is, there is something about the city that is magical, and the artists of the world who have been fortunate enough to visit the area know full well what I'm talking about. It can't be put into words, and to attempt to do so would be a waste of time. The creative energy of Seattle is not meant to be defined, it is meant to be used.

Seattle, Washington lies in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is considered a major metropolitan city with a skyline that is recognizable from any angle. If this author had to compare Seattle to any other city in the world, he would have to say that it most reminds him of a smaller, cleaner, less crowded Los Angeles. As a freelance writer myself, I can personally say that I have spent a countless number of hours sitting in coffee shops and café / book stores, hypnotized by the glare of my laptop, drowning myself in whatever seasonal blend of mocha the local coffee merchants happen to be offering in that particular month.

It isn't just the coffee shops that inspire me to write, it's the variety of people who walk in and out of those places all day long. Just like smokers, they are addicted to their coffee (so am I), and just like smokers, they have their brands, their flavors, their cravings, and their own ideas of what the product does for them. For me, I think that it makes me creative. As a people watcher and natural observer, I look to those strangers for inspiration for my next piece of writing. The scenes of the city offer the same kind of inspiration. The colors, architecture, and local fashion all come together in a way that just works.

As for the rain which falls outside of my condo, and the occasional blanket of snow to fall to the ground, I no longer see those as inconveniences to be dealt with, rather I see them as just another part of the local culture and landscape. When the rain and snow comes to my neck of the woods, I see that time as a great excuse to stay in and work on my various writing projects. I fire up my laptop, brew my own blend of coffee, and recreate the café environment in my own living room.

I don't know what turned Seattle into a global center of independent art, but whatever it was, I'm glad that it happened. As a man who has been around the world and around the nation, has experienced different cultures and different people, I can honestly say that there is no other place which I would rather call my home than Seattle, Washington.