My favorite place to inhabit or work is my living room. I am easily over stimulated and distracted by noise and the general public. Therefore coffee shops and even libraries do not lend a conducive environment for me. After capturing images of the things that make this space special to me I realized that they all contributed to a single feeling. Comfort. When I work, or am creating, I tend to get overwhelmed easily. All of these elements play their own role in keeping me cool, calm and collected.
Some of the things that help keep me calm include my slippers and readily available tea. My coffee table is an unusual shape and sits very low to the ground. It is great for crafts or just resting my feet. Then there is my Netflix. I like background noise when I work but not necessarily music. I find that when I listen to music it consumes too much of my brain for me to be productive or creative. So I have a favorite show that I have seen hundreds of times, that I just play while I work. I have seen it enough times that I no longer need to pay attention and my brain relates happiness to its sound and presence.
The living room itself is meant for another purpose than my workspace. It is a common area for the household to relax. This may be why I was attracted to this space for working. I related the space with peace and serenity. This space is engaging by its interesting, non white, walls and minimal decor. It is equipped with the necessary technologies needed for relaxing (tv and Xbox). It has two giant windows that give the space life and energy. Lighting is limited which sets a calm, not over exposed, mood. The furniture is soft and engulfs you when you occupy it. There are blankets available for its inhabitants as well as the therapeutic presence of my cat Zedd.
The article taught me that the environment is truly what the inhabitants make it. For an environment to be useful or conducive to its inhabitants it needs to incorporate what they are using it for and how they are doing those things. This pertains to my space because I made my space work for me. I may use my coffee table for more than just a surface to set my cup on.
How I relate this to my professional may be a bit abstract. A lot of times I actually have to take a step back and realize that 90% is actually virtual and only 10% is my desk or physical workspace. I can apply my coffee table theory to software and tools I use. Just because the tool was designed for one thing does not mean I can not use it to solve other problems. This assignment has made me realize how important those elements at home are to my mental state when working or creating. I am hoping to find a few ways to incorporate those comforts at work. Obviously I cannot play Netflix at work but I could maybe bring in a nice lamp for my desk to set a more peaceful mood. I would like to get a small stool to go under my desk so that I can elevate my feet once in a while. I realize that I crave working at home because I am comfortable and do my best work that way. Comfort is key to my creativity.
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