A Space with a view is always a more productive Space than one without.
Whenever I have to get a lot of work done, work that requires more thinking than actual physical action (such as working on a piece of writing or attempting to untangle a mathematical Gordian knot), I need some kind of open area nearby. It doesn’t have to be bright (I love working at night or the early morning) but ideally it’s outdoors and interesting.
Rules and guidelines to further your understanding of a Good View:
• It is not to be examined and observed, rather, it is to be appreciated subconsciously.
• This appreciation will occur while “zoning” out; looking at nothing in the Good View in particular, and not actively thinking about the Good View.
• The Good View should not be a distraction from work, but a conduit through which inspiration flows.
• Physical separation in the form of a window or some distance from the Good View is not required, but encouraged. This prevents “participation” in the space; actively appreciating or observing the Good View, to the detriment of your work.
• Noise should not emanate from the Good View, unless the noise could be categorized as background noise; sounds are a part of the environment: trickling water from the rusty pipes of an abandoned warehouse, birdsong, frequent and predictable gunshots (from silenced weaponry), jazz music from a dusty distant Victrola, and other such subliminal input.
Though the view is rather important, so is the Space. Like the view, there are rules to help you find a Space for you. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t an essentially infinite array of Spaces, but it does mean that there are many places which are not Spaces.
Rules and guidelines to aid in your search for a Space:
• The Space must match your aesthetic; a place has got to feel right, and if it doesn’t, you’ll know immediately. Personally, I’m a fan of coffee shops, libraries, my room and secluded towers. Beaches are nice, too.
• The Space must have a nearby place to empty your bladder. (This is key.)
• For many this may not apply; for me it does: a source of the sacred elixir (coffee) must be close.
• A power outlet is generally required, be it for music and or your computer.
• People must not continuously interact with you, and people you are compelled to frequently interact with must not be too close.
• Ambient noise must be considered – consider as much as much as you can tolerate, then cut that amount in half. That shall be deemed a good amount.
Next time you need to get work done, consider where you’re trying to get that work done. With a Space and a Good View, much is possible.
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As much as scenery is to be enjoyed, the actual climate or weather of the Space should not be destructive either to your work ethic or your physical work itself. As a warning to the beach, there is sand, water, and wind, all potent in wearing down your genius and patience as it either gets in your hair, or your computer.
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