I'm a bad blogger. I've stopped posting entirely, and I feel really bad about it, but every time I sit down and start to write something for this, I begin wandering aimlessly through my mind palace and I forget all about writing. Or worse, I can't write because I can't think of anything interesting to write about. Which, considering the fact that I'm exploring my mind palace while not writing, is somewhat odd.
For those of you who don't recognize the term 'mind palace', let me explain. It is a Sherlock reference that alludes to a system of memory wherein one mentally stores particles of information in a metaphysical location such as a house or palace. When one requires a certain piece of data, one simply enters the location and retrieves the data.
Going into my mind palace is somewhat of a meditative state, requiring little to no external stimulus, or a controlled input. Country music is a prime example. I have no objection to most country music under ordinary circumstances, but almost nothing can bring me out of my mind palace faster than country or bluegrass music. Loud, pounding bass will also do it, as will noisy crowds. Football games are great, but not at all conducive to a visit to the mind palace. Conversely, one of the best things to put me in my mind palace is a bit of Yiruma or some electric violin. The Piano Guys are also good.
But the "mind palace" is different for everyone. For some it may be Buckingham Palace stocked with tidbits of interesting information. For some it's the "American Dream", complete with white picket fence and full of all their hopes and dreams. For some it's a haunted house, inhabited by the things that frighten them, but with a pull that is too strong to resist. It is a very personal thing, and no two people's mind palaces are exactly the same. My mind palace is somewhat of a cross between the picket fence and the haunted house variety. It is where I store all of the beautiful things I encounter, and where I keep my nightmares. It's where I go for inspiration when I write, and where I curl up and dream about the future.
I spend a lot--probably too much--time in my mind, but it's not exactly a bad thing. I think a lot of people are going to laugh at this, but my personal opinion is that not enough people take the time to 'decorate' their minds. They fill them, certainly, but they don't bother to organize, to care for, and to love the things they put in. These people slowly stuff their brains with useless information and don't even care. A mind is a shameful thing to waste, yet so many people don't care for the gift they've been given. So take some time. Tomorrow is Sunday, so use it. Get up, make breakfast, go to church, and take some time just to yourself to do some spring cleaning in your mind. Get rid of the useless things, and lavish affection on the things you deem worth keeping. Build your castles in the air.
