When I need to write…I’m writing a book but for now, that’s beside the point…or work on building a new website I find my favourite place near where I live is Chapters. Yes, they have a Starbucks cafe and that’s where I head.
Working at home in my own studio can be very distracting for concentration, the phone rings, either for me or my spouse; someone knocks on the door, a delivery, or just the piles of yarn, felt, or papers around the studio which are other things awaiting my attention and action. I have my fingers in different pies and find it hard to say ‘no’ (though I’m learning) as many of the things coming over my threshold are interesting! Dealing with show applications, putting together images, replying to requests and so on, I’m up and down to the printer, to the other end of the studio, seeking files, checking info sent to me by clients….I need distraction…or some white noise.
I head out mid to late afternoon after the studio stuff is worked through, with my laptop, notepad, and some sheets of info and hit that coffee shop surrounded by the large bookstore. I treat myself to my favourite non-fat, decaf latté along with an oat bar and settle down for an hour. I have found that the buzz of the folk around with their laptops, kids, friends, magazines, books….just zones out for me.
A good place to work on a new website or a rebuild or my book as I don’t need the internet and turn it off. Sometimes my husband will wander in and say hi, catch up and wander off…we can chat at home and he has books to look for.
I get writing and I really get into it and can focus so that as I write, things come to me with that clear space in my head, I find I can concentrate better, I’m actually not distracted by the folk, the books, I’m there with a purpose. Sometimes my phone will ring after a time and it’s my husband asking when I’m coming home for dinner and that brings me back to real time, I look up, it’s dark out and time to head back.
I leave feeling I have accomplished a lot and look forward to the next time I zone out with my coffee and oat bar and actually get something done uninterrupted!
This bright place is the ‘Rec Room’ of Pod39, a pod hotel in NYC where, if you are sharing a lovely but compact room, you might need another place to be…it was great.
