There's something about a train...

--> What is it about a train that stokes my creative fire? Not just a train but, more specifically, a long train ride.

Creative inspiration on the subway? No, I'm not usually that guy...

I ride a train to work every day. And then I'm on a subway car several times a week, if those count as trains. But I don't find much inspiration on my daily commute or those jaunts around the city. It's not until I'm on a longer excursion, riding the Amtrak rails to Vermont for a family visit or upstate NY to visit friends, that the muse strikes. 

Put me on a train for hours at a time and it’s like a well has been tapped. Uninterrupted by any sense of ordinary chores or obligations or work schedules or shows to watch online or on TV… and there’s little else to do but write. Or think. Or think and write. 

And so I whip out my laptop and have at it. One, two, three or more blog posts just sort of spill out of me. Typically when I'm at my desk trying to write a blog post, I end up staring at a blank screen and, for the life of me, can’t think of a thing to write about. But toss in the gentle motion of a train chugging along the rails, mixed with a refreshing change of scenery, a slower-paced lifestyle for a few hours, a lack of distraction or duty… and it's a recipe for creativity for me. Not sure I completely understand it, but I'm not going to question it. Here's to writing on the rails!