Monday, November 28, 2016

Why write in cafes?

I was challenged by a commenter on the last post to explain why writing in a cafe helps some people to be productive. (I wrote most of a course in art in cafes once.)

My best take on it right now is that it helps your mind relax. At home or at office you're surrounded by a lot of objects and factors which are constant reminders of things daily duties and such, and that lowers your level of free attention. At home there are also too many opportunities for procrastination.

 And on the other hand if you were sitting in a hotel room (though this works for some people), the isolation and bland walls gives you too little stimulation, and your woolly subconscious start acting up and playing games with you.

I think the cafe or park or such places are a good in-between place where you're away from a lot of your stressors, and yet you have a bit of semi-interesting things and activities going on around you which you can look at while the mental wheels are free-spinning, but are not too hard to look away from when the machine works.

Photo by Jane Birkin

2 comments:

John Krumm said...

I used to do my best reading and writing in a college cafeteria, where I could spread out a little and sit for hours. Cafes work too, but I often feel pressure to get a move on.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Ah yes, there's the rub; if the cafe is too commercial, they may not like sitters, at least if they don't buy much, and if the cafe is very busy, it can get too pressurised and noisy.