Amy Poehler Gets Inspired by Writing Topless

Amy Poehler just released Yes Please, her first memoir, and as such, she’s getting a lot of questions about her creative process. “I find that writing topless relaxed me,” she explained on yesterday’s Ellen. The muse works in mysterious ways.

When Ellen asked how she discovered the joy of writing without a shirt on, Poehler replied, “I think it was probably accidental—like, I was out of the shower and was like, ‘Ugh, I have to finish this thing!” and was then like, “This feels really good.’ And then, as I was writing the book—as you know, anything to get you inspired to write [you’ve got to do] and, as a treat to myself, I’d be like, ‘Do this one topless!'”

I can corroborate Poehler’s claim: Working in a slovenly state of undress is one of the greatest (and most inspiring) privileges of the work-from-home writer’s lifestyle.

And because you can never have enough Amy Poehler clips, here she is talking about the end of Parks and Recreation: