Comments on: What’s your space?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:22:35 +0000

I just spent a year working from home a graphic designer with some web design on the side and some writing as a purely ‘me’ project. I just got an office job, so the old space isn’t being used quite as much as it was. When I was 24/7 in my apt-box I took a corner of the living room by the sliding doors, sat a desk against the wall, then got an old coffee table and ran 3 CPU’s across it at a 90-degree angle from the desk (directly across from the door). I then ran dual monitors on a regular desk and a third monitor sitting on top of the CPU’s. Duals were used for graphic design and the third was whatever I was reading while things rendered. It also doubled as a jukebox. As I settled in to the routine I could stare forlornly out the window, adjust my jukebox, or focus on my work all with a swivel. When I needed to pace, there was a good 8 feet behind me to do so. It worked pretty well, though I still found myself taking the laptop to coffee shops a couple of times a month just to get out. Now that I have an office job the CPU’s live in the entertainment center and I’m considering setting up one of the wii-infrared drawing tables as a weekend project (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ). Anyone actually used one of these setups professionally?

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:12:53 +0000

While I have a tiny little studio set up, I still prefer to wander freely around my home with my laptop. Especially when the weather is nice, I prefer to work on my patio. :)

There is a wonderful blog about artist’s workspaces you might enjoy reading / gawking. It’s given me a lot neat ideas: http://on-my-desk.blogspot.com/

By: Siun

Siun — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:00:52 +0000

I’m so glad amysue said “bed” since I was feeling downright slovenly as that is my favorite workspace. Last summer I finally bought myself a truly proper wondrous bed (after realizing that when I stayed in hotels with good beds, I did not wake all creaky achy so perhaps I was not just “getting old”) and I have 6 pillows, two favored quilts, one permanent cat purrer and one pitbull who should be in my daughter’s room but thinks my laptop was ergonomically designed to be his pillow.

For the past year I’ve mostly worked from home instead of in an office and while I have a good table and files in the living room – and sit there when monitoring the blog – for actual writing and serious work, bed has become the place I can focus.

And since our little work team is scheduled to move into a real office in a month or so … and I know I will get nothing done once I am there!

By: Kiki

Kiki — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:52:51 +0000

“how have you customized your workspace to suit your needs?”

I’ve worn a nice groove in the middle of my futon couch with my butt. I’ve placed the coffee table just far enough away for my feet to reach it, so I can put my laptop on my lap. Oh, and the back groove in the couch is a great crumb-holder, so I never have to worry about low blood sugar while I write.

By: aut0poietic

aut0poietic — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:40:43 +0000

Kit@16 — In my home it’s not usually about brainstorming as much as it’s random comments “What’s with the colors? Are you trying to depress everyone who comes to the site?” or “Who ya drawing, Daddy?” “It’s Mommy.” [pause] “It sorta looks like Michael Jackson.” I guess they’re not so much “Aha” moments as “Aw, damn” moments. ; )

I’m guessing what I do works better with visual arts — seems kinda difficult to walk by a monitor and catch a glimpse of the third chapter and say “Would he *really* do that?”

By: kit

kit — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:56:47 +0000

El@13: A thought provoking article which think drives home the message that fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition.

By: kit

kit — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:42:00 +0000

Kyla@9: I think diversity in creative endeavors is the future, because we should be combining more art forms and mediums. Or maybe the future was ‘plastics’, I keep getting that mixed up.

poljin@10: Good luck with the move. I hope you find an environment more conducive to your writing in the new place.

jeff@11: A forge, neat!

zizban@12: sounds very organic :)

amysue@15: Bed can be a great place to work. I think it’s all about what makes you comfortable.

By: kit

kit — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:33:37 +0000

Corrvin@6: My ideal is closer to what I have now, a place secluded to work in and somewhere I can be social. I have often looked at those big walk in closets and considered such a thing.

As for the cat basket, our cats love sitting in drawers…

Chris@7: Very good. That’s probably my favorite of Steve’s books actually…

aut0poietic@8 : We all have some brainstorming time here. Reesa in particular likes to bounce her ideas around verbally but I am sure everyone here and in our writer group could come up with just such an ‘aha’ moment.

By: amysue

amysue — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:04:48 +0000

One day I realized our dining room was never used for dining. It’s too small and in any event, we don’t have the sort of affairs one carts out the “good china” for and all. So with a little rearranging and a lot of elfa shelving I have my craft room. I mostly knit, spin and quilt but also do some altered books and other paper arts. The room has a somewhat chaotic order. Currently the former chair rail is lined with Suzette Haden Elgin and Phillip Dick paperbacks in French. The covers have been intriguing me and I enjoy looking at them.

However, day-to-day it’s my laptop and me in the bed. The bed is also covered with current reading, magazines, kids schoolwork in progress, knitting, and assorted ephemera. a long time ago, when I was too sick to leave my bed very often or for very long I developed this way of sort of cocooning in it and now I enjoy working this way. I hate desktops now. (as an aside, I also am a lot healthier now and leave the bed to hike, bike, work, play etc.-I just like doing my at home computer and writing there.)

By: kit

kit — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:42:33 +0000

Jason @ 3: I can empathize, as I am working to train myself out of my messy nature. I’m makng a lot of progress, but what I describe above is our shared workspace. I still have a private workspace in my bedroom and the less said about its current state the better.

I’ll be working to improve that in the near future, however, as it’s important for me to spend more time in there for a few reasons, including my cat who lives there due to not socializing well with the rest of the menagerie.

Mris @ 5: Your descriptions of your own workspace have inspired much thought and conversation about what ours should be, at least here in the Slutbarn. I’m pleased to hear that you’ve come up with a solution for the desk issue.