Many writers work alone. This is refreshing. No office politics and other pettiness, no commute (Atlanta traffic is horrible and leaders won’t plan to resolve it), and no bad cafeteria lunches. Instead, I crank up the music, workout (I need to do more), and grill steak for lunch. My hours vary — so much depends on time zones. I drink better coffee at home. And so, so few meetings.
I worked from home long before COVID. For a writer, long periods of focus matter, and so I don’t miss the interruptions from people walking by my office.
With the lack of office politics, my clients — usually C-suite executives — can be candid with me and vice versa. We talk family and passions as much as business. With some, I am friends. That dynamic makes life better, and my speeches better.
My office furniture matches me. I didn’t feel the need to have a fancy home office. Everything is either functional or meeting some whimsy.
Three monitors, all fairly large. An old table I inherited from my parents, who, in turn, inherited it from theirs, going back, I think, to the 1920s or 1930s. It has cut marks from my childhood art projects and cigarette burns from my parents. Two Klipsch speakers are sitting on my high school biology book and a transcript of the Nixon tapes. That’s good for decoupling, whether I’m listening to Erik Satie, Nina Simone, or Pink Floyd.
There’s an out-of-tune ukulele I play when I need to think. I pick some poor twangy blues to help me relax.
A ring light, a couple of mics, and a pop filter are in front of me, ready to use. I lead a few regular meetings and those are the tools of the trade. Some headphones for when I want to get into the groove. Other doo-dads handy for working from home.
I’m surrounded by art. A too-small print of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. A copy of Peter Blume’s The Rock that my dad painted. A portrait of a clown, also painted by my dad. A family photo. License plates from my mom’s car from when I was a child.
Behind me, I have a home gym. To my left, beanbag and a large screen TV. It’s a man cave of sorts, none of which is seen on Zoom thanks to a green screen.
Upstairs, I have a library with more than enough books, and can quickly find whatever whimsy I need to fill my lunch hour.
Meanwhile, I also work in cafes, libraries and wherever. I know every cafe within five miles that serves a decent pour-over. My wallet is filled with “Buy nine, get the tenth one free” cards. Many of the cafes are owned by Korean people where I live, so, “Gamsahamnida.”
I miss seeing people, especially I’ve had the opportunity to work around innovators and thinkers.
It’s good to step outside though and breathed the fresh air. I’m likely to see a bluebird or a finch. It’s not unusual to see hawk or vulture thanks to the In the backyard.
Right now, though, I think I’ll head upstairs and make an espresso.
Note: This is updated from a post I initially published April 17, 2019. I remember being fascinated at how the world adapted to working from home. It’s come full circle and round again as people have returned to the office, and now are working hybrid. Companies are learning To ask what is the Best work environment for their employees, budgets, and schedules.