Summertime is a time for reading at the beach, feet tucked into warm sand, sun glasses on, contemplating the crisp rush of salty waves. Maybe it’s sitting in the shade of an old oak tree with a sweaty glass of iced tea tilted in the uneven grass at your side—notebook in hand, ready to write. Click to see more reasons why summer is the best time to be a brilliant writer.

Summertime is a time for road trips and writing workshops! Speaking of which, I’ll be teaching on the West Coast Esalen June 12-17, East Coast at the Omega Institute July 15-17, and Colorado’s Shambhala Mountain Center, August 25-29, for some incredible writing and mindfulness workshops this summer. Find all the details HERE.

In addition, I have been working hard editing my new book Writing as a Path to Awakening and it’s coming along beautifully. I can’t tell you too much at this point other than how excited I am to be working with Sounds True, who has published many of the greatest spiritual teachers and thinkers of our time including Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield, Adyashanti, Brené Brown, Eckart Tolle, and so many others.

I will say that the structure of the book revolves around the seasons and just this week I was writing into “summer” and I couldn’t resist playing one of my favorite songs that gets me in the mood for summer every time: “Summertime Thing” by Chuck Prophet. Look it up on YouTube, and crank it up loud! Chuck is a great writer. . .

That summer heat has got me feelin lazy
air is warm and the sky is hazy
People gettin down, gettin crazy
People gettin down, gettin stupid, gettin crazy

Hey, it’s a summertime thing
Summertime thing

Go ask your dad for the keys to the Honda
and can your sister come along, how could she not wanna?
Put the Beach Boys on, wanna hear “Help Me Rhonda”
Awe put the beach Boys on, I wanna hear “Help Me Rhonda”

Hey, it’s a summertime thing
A summertime thing

Roll down the sides, we’ll drive to the delta
Take off our clothes and jump into the river
Ain’t nobody around
Ain’t nobody gonna see us
Take off your clothes jump into the river

Hey, it’s a summertime thing
it’s a summertime thing

© Chuck Prophet/New West Records

Remember, our inspiration as writers comes from every art form, every kind of writer, from anything we open our hearts and minds to. What’s your “Summertime Thing”, your story, poem, or scene that drops you into the heart of summer? Shoot us an email or connect with me on Facebook or Twitter and let me know.

I hope to see you LIVE this summer at Esalen, Omega or Shambhala!

Happy summertime writing!