My hiatus in Cardiff by the Sea, CA was both peaceful and productive.
The peaceful part for me is inherent in just being by the ocean. That, coupled with sunshine, loads of hummingbird activity, and what I call “nesting”—ample time to think, noodle, and simply be.
Thirteen out of the nineteen days were writing days. That’s where the productivity came in. I’m well on my way to completing Iconoclast—book two of the thriller series I’m currently working on.
When was the last time you carved out P-Squared time?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Pleased to hear you had a restful and productive time away, Laurie.
Darlene — Thank you. It was ideal!
Glad you got everything you needed out of your holiday. Welcome back.
Fatima — Thank you. It’s good to be back.
P-squared – my favourite thing! It seems that it should be the “norm,” and all the busy-ness something that happens outside of it. But the reality is that I do have to consciously carve out that time. Carve seems an appropriate word – surgically insert it into a busy schedule. Thank you for reminding me how important, and rewarding, it is to do so.
Arlene — I love what you said about CARVING out time: “to surgically insert it into a busy schedule.”
Lovely to see you back Laurie. Glad you enjoyed your break by the ocean.
Brigid — Thank you. I had a wonderful time 🙂
Good to see you back.
Byung — Thank you! 🙂
Very happy to see your smiling face again, Laurie. While you were gone, I retired! The peace and quiet is lovely. Productivity….is a work in progress. Welcome back!
LoisaJay — Congratulations on your retirement. My hat is off to YOU! 🙂
Writing time is so valuable. Glad you found some.
Craig — Writing time is precious, indeed! 🙂
Last month. Got up to the North Shore for a week of XC skiing and writing. Had a great ski every day and wrote something every day from our cabin/condo perched 50 feet above the Lake Superior shoreline. Had a windstorm where the waves became so huge, you could feel them vibrating the ground from inside the condo!. Awesome.
Chris
Chris — It’ll be fun when I read your next book to know where part of it was written from! 🙂
My favorite beach in SoCal! Good for you Laurie!
Bob — I absolutely LOVE that beach. Glad you’re familiar with it, too 🙂
Welcome back!
I believe you have outlined one of the chapters (maybe two) for a future book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors. You are the expert, Laurie, no doubt about it.
Marian — You comment just induced a face-splitting grin on my face. Thank you 🙂
Sounds perfect – ocean and sunshine!
Carol — The perfect recipe! 🙂
I haven’t had this kind of P squared space in my schedule since I was a writer in residence at the Collegeville Institute. I look forward to creating a mountain retreat/revision week with my co-author this summer. P squared is a great way to think of it. Glad you had a wonderful time away.
Shirley — I’m so excited about the book you’re co-authoring. I’m glad to know that you two are going to create a mountain retreat/revision week. Woohoo! 🙂
Glad your are back Laurie and had a peaceful and productive time. Thriller series? Keep me posted. Thrillers, mysteries and memoir are my cup of tea. Yes, finding time and carving it out for personal is difficult, especially with too many problems going on all the time and dealing with them. Sometimes writing about them helps – and that includes using the problems for story ideas. But the time has come (as Mr. Walrus once said) to… carve out some personal time and get away from it all – if only using my residence as a retreat, which is much better in summer with my garden, than winter and the ugly storm coming here in Toronto for the next few days.
Sharon — I agree that the problem’s life has a way of dishing out make good fodder for writing. And yes, I’ll keep everyne posted about the suspense/thriller series I’m writing. The first book—INDELIBLE— hits the shelves on April 6, 2021. Woohoo! 🙂
Glad you know your P Squared was inspiring and restful. Taking time out to write is a “healthy decision” to become creative and focus. I have fond memories of all my P Squared times to for my creative Blue Brain to write all my books. Eager to learn more about you new book. Mazel Tov!! I am working on another edition of “What Color Is Your Brain?” and “Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift” is going to be produced as another children’s musical at the Raue Center. Wishes you still lived here, so you and your granddaughter could enjoy the performances. 🙂 ❤
Sheila — Hello my creative Blue Brained friend! I’m so glad to learn that you have another edition of WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BRAIN? in the works, and that PRINCESS SHAYNA’S INVISIBLE VISIBLE GIFT is going to be performed as a musical at the Raue Center. Wow! That’s fantastic. Mazel Tov!! 🙂
I love the idea of taking time just to be me with no outside noise or distractions.
Greg — It’s a delicious feeling! 🙂
Sounds like a very good experience and that you positively benefited from the warmth, and sunshine at the ocean. I need water in my life for sure!
While you were away, I had a huge eye surgery and now have crystal clear vision for nearly everything except reading. It feels like a miracle to have that tissue removed from 100% blocking my left eye vision. I am about 3 weeks away from new readers so am currently changing three pair of glasses all though out the day. Although I still read, I was not very able to write on the computer, so I too got all of March books read and 1/2 of April now days of writing coming up. I no longer live on the water so I have to travel for a visit but I am working on water issues around climate change as our downtown will soon flood and that is a major problem We also don’t want oil tankers on Puget Sound so that has been years of constant work. Also Nestle Corp is busy stealing our water Water is Life!
Patricia — I’m thrilled that your recent eye surgery has basically delivered up a miracle! That’s exciting for anyone, but especially for someone like you who reads books at the rate you do. Yaaaaaay! 🙂
Looks like you had a great and satisfying sojourn, Laurie.
Larry — It was terrific. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! 🙂
Wow! I love the collage of your pics. And just thinking of time by the ocean puts me in an imaginary trance, and a dream of getting to moonstone beach again.
Thanks for sharing your P-Squared peace and productive time away
Ann — I’m glad you enjoyed this post and the photo collage. Thank you for letting me know. Hopefully you can get away to Moonstone Beach in the near future 🙂
When i was there a few years ago in June or July they said the best time to be there is in September when the whales and dolphins are running through; and dolphins jumping over surfers :).
Laurie, you know I love the beach, any beach on any coast. I’ve stood on a stony beach in a far Northern Land and watches the seals and whales cruising around the icebergs. I’ve stood on the sugar sand beaches of the Gulf Coast and watched pelicans and dolphins competing for the same school of fish. In California we crouched on the edge of a cliff, watching the elephants seals soaking up Sunshine on a sheltered sweep of sand and shingle. Never saw a beach I didn’t love and didn’t come away from without being vastly improved in the heart and soul. I’m glad you got this time away, you deserved it. And what did you do? Work!
Sandi — You’ve definitely been “from sea to shining sea,” and seen what the best has to offer. And yes, I worked. But I relaxed and read a boatload of books, too 🙂
I am fortunate enough to have family who live in Cardiff…so I get down there quite often.I can relax at the ocean like no other place. I’m so glad you had both downtime and productivity results. That was a nice long stay. 🙂
Debra — I’m so glad that Cardiff is one of your relaxation gems, too. It’s definitely a “happy place” for me 🙂
I don’t carve out that time often enough so sometimes the Universe does it for me. I just spent about six weeks recovering from a fall. The first four were spent staying in, resting, working through the pain, meditating and studying. Time I really needed and am grateful for Maybe next time I can figure it out on my own. 🙂
Espirational — YIKES! I agree. Next time, beat the Universe to the punch.
Looks like you had a blast! 😀
Widdershins — I did, indeed 🙂
I love the way you do that Laurie , give yourself complete space to write . It really is the only way and when you get home you appreciate everything.
I give my self mini P-Squared time . It works for me . Good luck with the book
Cherryx
Cherry — Ginormous, mini, and every size in-between, P-Squared time is important. I’m so glad you gift yourself with “mini P-Squared” time. Yaaaaay! 🙂
Good question and your are an inspiration! 💕☕️☕️
America On Coffee — Thank you 🙂
Looks like you had a great time!
Kendall — It was absolutely wonderful! 🙂
This is so great, Laurie! Sometimes a good getaway is all you need for some real productivity. Congratulations!
ParkerMcCoy — Yes, indeed 🙂
A seaside break is the best break. 🌺🌸🌻
Sunshiny — I absolutely agree 🙂
Sounds perfect!
Better — It truly was 🙂
I’m always surprised by how productive and creative I become after even a few days off in Nature!
Jadi — Nature is a wonderful muse 🙂
Loved the title of your post! I usually find it hard to be creative when I focus on being productive. 🙂
Megha — I hear you. It’s sort of like not focusing on the destination. Rather, focus on the journey.