I think it is a great concept, thank you for sharing, I think it will be one to mull over. For me hot spots are absolutely NOT busy places, I need quiet, soft music, space. Not my day job haha! My Not Spots need work too. I agree about ambidextrous space though. I prefer, when in nature, to immerse in nature. However when out on a shoot a while ago I was spending a lot of time waiting and I was up on the moor on a glorious day so put on some of my 'transformative' music which I find inspiring and it almost felt like it took me to another level with my creativity!
Funnily enough Kim, sometimes in cafes I end up with my headphones on listening to rainstorms, so I think for me it's about white noise to some extent - if I tuned into an actual conversation I'd find it very distracting. The chatter and video calls in my open-plan office drive me insane so I now have earplugs for focus time 😂 That sounds like a fantastic experience out on the moor! I'm curious, what do you see as 'transformative' music?
I understand, it creates a soothing background to be lost in and creativity springs from that stillness. For me, transformative music is ambient music which has a profound effect on me, where, when i hear it I go someplace deep inside. My list of albums is not huge, even artists I love do not do it for every album for example. I see a theme though, music with sound effects that take me back to the belly of my ancestors such as the album They Were Here by Byron Metcalf and then there is the music that has a woman's vocals which are hauntingly beautiful, Sky Burial by Anilah and ruther chant like vocals in Anvient Rituals by Ashi.
Love this! My coworking space is a hot spot for getting work done in short-ish blocks of time. I used to sit here all day long, but I recently decided that I should come for 4 - 5 hours maximum (I better leave for the day soon!). Hot spot for my creative (just for fun) writing seems to be my eating table at home... but still experimenting. Not spot for using my phone is in the bed. In fact, I generally don't bring my phone into my bedroom unless I need the alarm and then it's always on airplane mode. Unfortunately, my home office has become a not spot for getting client work done. I think because my brain now associates my coworking space with work, so I can't focus anymore in my home office. I would like to make a sofa (particularly while enjoying a romcom) a not spot for my phone, but working on it.
It's interesting, isn't it Alexis that sometimes we seem to have a threshold for spots as well? I definitely find that even in my hot spots like cafes and libraries, there's a limit to how long I can sit still and focus. Eventually I hit the point where I need movement and have to take a walk, and that fires up my imagination again. That's great that you keep your phone at bay at bedtime and use airplane mode. I'm not quite ready for that yet but perhaps you'll inspire me! I wonder what it would take for your home office to work again - is it something about background noise, or more an association with having people present?
For my home office, it doesn’t have anything to do with noise or people (I think). It has the same level of noise as my coworking space (my bf works from home too). I think my brain has just stopped associating it with my “day job” since I started coworking regularly. I get distracted. Do other stuff around the house, etc. I’ll see if I can get some work done in there today. Haha.
I don’t consider environment nearly enough, often opting for wherever is closest and most efficient. I used to burn sandalwood incense whenever I needed to be creative, I might try that again and even experiment with going to the library to get the juices flowing.
Oh sandalwood incense sounds lovely 💖 I've been meaning for ages to get out my oil diffuser and get back into having scents for different moods, whether it's something to relax or energise me. Thanks for the reminder! Enjoy your incense and I hope the library works out as a hot spot 😁
This is such a great post that everyone should read! My hot spots would be a coffee shop or better yet, a kombucha brewery (I wish there were more), honestly also my bed. I have a 'passion project work' set up in bed and if I can focus, I stay on track and get $hit done there too, but I also made a nook in the corner of my bedroom to work as well. Environment is everything for me. NOT spots - nature... that is for my mindful time, but if I get a great idea it goes on my digital list. Also, when with friends/family I get that dang phone put away and don't even think about being productive!
Thanks so much Melissa, that's very kind of you 🥰 That's really interesting on the bedroom. I used to often work in bed and I was quite productive. I'm naturally a night owl who would quite happily work until dawn and then sleep, but this doesn't fit well with my 9-5. I've found as I've gotten older (and maybe I use tech a lot more) that if I work late on my laptop I just can't wind down and sleep. So I'm pretty strict now in keeping my bed just for relaxation and trying to shut off the tech and work earlier. But not always possible...
I love the idea of a passion project work set up! I also find ideas often come to me walking in nature, so then I whip out my phone and jot something down in notes. And so important that our time with friends and family isn't disturbed by phones 😁
I think it is a great concept, thank you for sharing, I think it will be one to mull over. For me hot spots are absolutely NOT busy places, I need quiet, soft music, space. Not my day job haha! My Not Spots need work too. I agree about ambidextrous space though. I prefer, when in nature, to immerse in nature. However when out on a shoot a while ago I was spending a lot of time waiting and I was up on the moor on a glorious day so put on some of my 'transformative' music which I find inspiring and it almost felt like it took me to another level with my creativity!
Funnily enough Kim, sometimes in cafes I end up with my headphones on listening to rainstorms, so I think for me it's about white noise to some extent - if I tuned into an actual conversation I'd find it very distracting. The chatter and video calls in my open-plan office drive me insane so I now have earplugs for focus time 😂 That sounds like a fantastic experience out on the moor! I'm curious, what do you see as 'transformative' music?
I understand, it creates a soothing background to be lost in and creativity springs from that stillness. For me, transformative music is ambient music which has a profound effect on me, where, when i hear it I go someplace deep inside. My list of albums is not huge, even artists I love do not do it for every album for example. I see a theme though, music with sound effects that take me back to the belly of my ancestors such as the album They Were Here by Byron Metcalf and then there is the music that has a woman's vocals which are hauntingly beautiful, Sky Burial by Anilah and ruther chant like vocals in Anvient Rituals by Ashi.
Love this! My coworking space is a hot spot for getting work done in short-ish blocks of time. I used to sit here all day long, but I recently decided that I should come for 4 - 5 hours maximum (I better leave for the day soon!). Hot spot for my creative (just for fun) writing seems to be my eating table at home... but still experimenting. Not spot for using my phone is in the bed. In fact, I generally don't bring my phone into my bedroom unless I need the alarm and then it's always on airplane mode. Unfortunately, my home office has become a not spot for getting client work done. I think because my brain now associates my coworking space with work, so I can't focus anymore in my home office. I would like to make a sofa (particularly while enjoying a romcom) a not spot for my phone, but working on it.
It's interesting, isn't it Alexis that sometimes we seem to have a threshold for spots as well? I definitely find that even in my hot spots like cafes and libraries, there's a limit to how long I can sit still and focus. Eventually I hit the point where I need movement and have to take a walk, and that fires up my imagination again. That's great that you keep your phone at bay at bedtime and use airplane mode. I'm not quite ready for that yet but perhaps you'll inspire me! I wonder what it would take for your home office to work again - is it something about background noise, or more an association with having people present?
Definitely try the phone trick! ;)
For my home office, it doesn’t have anything to do with noise or people (I think). It has the same level of noise as my coworking space (my bf works from home too). I think my brain has just stopped associating it with my “day job” since I started coworking regularly. I get distracted. Do other stuff around the house, etc. I’ll see if I can get some work done in there today. Haha.
I don’t consider environment nearly enough, often opting for wherever is closest and most efficient. I used to burn sandalwood incense whenever I needed to be creative, I might try that again and even experiment with going to the library to get the juices flowing.
Oh sandalwood incense sounds lovely 💖 I've been meaning for ages to get out my oil diffuser and get back into having scents for different moods, whether it's something to relax or energise me. Thanks for the reminder! Enjoy your incense and I hope the library works out as a hot spot 😁
This is such a great post that everyone should read! My hot spots would be a coffee shop or better yet, a kombucha brewery (I wish there were more), honestly also my bed. I have a 'passion project work' set up in bed and if I can focus, I stay on track and get $hit done there too, but I also made a nook in the corner of my bedroom to work as well. Environment is everything for me. NOT spots - nature... that is for my mindful time, but if I get a great idea it goes on my digital list. Also, when with friends/family I get that dang phone put away and don't even think about being productive!
Thanks so much Melissa, that's very kind of you 🥰 That's really interesting on the bedroom. I used to often work in bed and I was quite productive. I'm naturally a night owl who would quite happily work until dawn and then sleep, but this doesn't fit well with my 9-5. I've found as I've gotten older (and maybe I use tech a lot more) that if I work late on my laptop I just can't wind down and sleep. So I'm pretty strict now in keeping my bed just for relaxation and trying to shut off the tech and work earlier. But not always possible...
I love the idea of a passion project work set up! I also find ideas often come to me walking in nature, so then I whip out my phone and jot something down in notes. And so important that our time with friends and family isn't disturbed by phones 😁
I’m the same if I work at night. I won’t sleep. I strictly get off electronics an hour before sleep.