Andy Ohm

Do you ever find yourself staring out the window at night, lost in thought? Maybe you’re watching the stars twinkle or the city lights flicker. Perhaps you’re listening to the sound of the rain tapping against the glass. Whatever it is, your mind seems to wander, free from the constraints of the day’s distractions.

I know the feeling well. For me, looking out the window at night is like hitting the pause button on life. It’s a chance to reflect, to dream, and to simply be present in the moment.

There’s something about the darkness that feels comforting. Maybe it’s the contrast to the bright screens and artificial light we’re surrounded by during the day. Or maybe it’s the way the night sky seems to stretch on endlessly, a reminder of how small we really are.

But it’s not just the physical environment that makes me feel at ease. It’s also the mental space that looking out the window gives me. During the day, our minds are constantly bombarded with information – emails, notifications, conversations, to-do lists. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, to feel like we’re always running to catch up.

But at night, things slow down. The distractions fade away, and we’re left with our own thoughts. This can be a double-edged sword – sometimes our minds can take us to dark places we’d rather not visit. But other times, we’re gifted with moments of clarity, insights we might not have discovered otherwise. 

I know for certain that I have visited places in my mind I’d rather not share, but at the same time even these dark thoughts have helped spark some light into my creative process. It has helped me tremendously with my writing.

I’ve managed to write two stories by staring out my window and into the darkness of night.

I’ve had some of my best ideas and breakthroughs doing this! Maybe it’s because my mind is finally able to relax and make connections it wouldn’t have been able to during the day. Or maybe it’s just that the quietness of the night allows me to listen to myself more closely.

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had while looking out the window at night was the inspiration for a story I wrote called ‘Surreal Hill.’

In the story, a writer staring out his window sees something quite bizarre appear in the night, leading him on a surreal and mysterious adventure. The experience of writing that story was incredibly rewarding and reminded me of the power of letting your imagination run wild. If you’re curious about what the writer sees and where his journey takes him, I encourage you to give the story a read when I release it as an e-book. Who knows, you might find your own inspiration through the act of looking out the window at night.

Something about staring into the darkness gave me space in my mind to think about the crazy things that could be happening out there. Or the things that perhaps never could happen out there, for my stories the latter makes more sense.

Of course, not every night is a profound spiritual experience or a bright spark of creativity. Sometimes my mind wanders off in more mundane directions. I might start thinking about what I want to eat for dinner tomorrow or mentally drafting an email I need to send. But even those moments can be valuable. Sometimes we need to let our minds wander in order to come back to reality feeling refreshed and recharged.

It gives me time to tidy up my thoughts, to put things into a clearer perspective.

So, if you find yourself staring out the window at night, lost in thought, know that you’re not alone. Embrace the stillness, the darkness, and the quietness. Let your mind wander where it will – you never know where it might take you.