Solitude

I've sought as much solitude as possible this week.  It's the only way to do the work that I must do.  I have to admit, though, that I enjoy it, too.  I know that many of my writer and artist friends out there will understand. We need to be alone.  We need quiet.  We crave a hidden corner just big enough for a chair, a table, and our thoughts. I love being alone in my workshop, but I seek solitude in other places as well, like churches,  beaches, and graveyards, with just the echoes of others' lives for company. I also find a kind of solitude that I like in the midst of crowded places, especially cafes.  I love the clatter of cups and spoons, the wash of voices and piped-in music. Somewhere in all the clutter and noise I find a kind of anonymity that feels like the release of a pressure valve in my head.  I stare at the window fogged by the heat of conversation and latte steam, and the words come.  

Do you need alone time to create?  If so, where and when do you find it?