Office Spaces

Jim Nielsen's recent reflections on his workspace resonated deeply. Having recently relocated to Colorado and set up my own home office, his words, "My workspace isn’t what life revolves around," struck a chord.

For years, I strived to embody that ideal. My desk held immense significance when I started freelancing in 2013. Remote work was uncommon then; owning a desk countered the skeptical "Oh, you'll get a real job someday" reactions. It boosted my confidence, but it didn't stop my six-month-old daughter from seeking me out in our open-concept condo. My office, adjacent to the living room stairs, often transformed into a collaborative space with a tiny art director.

This forced me to adapt, working in various locations. Unplugging my office revealed the liberating truth: I could work anywhere. Local cafes became impromptu offices. Clients' adoption of Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, and Google Drive fueled asynchronous work, eliminating the need for significant investment beyond a quality pair of headphones. These tools, already part of my personal workflow, became the catalyst for a paradigm shift; any location became my desk.

By 2019, a move to the suburbs provided a spacious, dedicated office. However, this larger space evolved to accommodate my wife, Marcia, who began working from home during the pandemic, and our daughters' homeschooling needs. Our office became a bustling hub for four people in 2020. While hectic, it fostered a cohesive family environment without succumbing to the pitfalls of remote work chaos.

This brings me back to Jim's post. After years of detaching my identity from a specific workspace, I found myself overly focused on meticulously arranging my new home office, inadvertently re-establishing it as a central life anchor.

Following Jim's advice to embrace humility in my workspace, I've repositioned my desk against a wall. A reclaimed sofa provides a comfortable retreat. Guitars and ukuleles offer creative breaks, and a record player invites mindful moments away from the screen. The space is open and welcoming, readily accommodating family, friends, and spontaneous activities, conveniently located near the family room.

My Desk Setup:

My IKEA desk houses:

• 16″ MacBook Pro (2019)
• Apple Magic Keyboard (no charging or TouchID)
• Apple Magic Trackpad (with charging)
• 27″ LG UltraFine 4K external monitor (2016, discontinued)
• 27″ Dell UltraSharp 4K USB-C monitor (courtesy of DigitalOcean!)
• Shure SM7B microphone (with mount)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 microphone preamp
• DBX 286s microphone preamp processor
• UBeesize 12’’ Ring Light with Tripod (essential in a dark room)
• Grogu (Baby Yoda) and Bob Belcher figurines
• Orange pen cup and a Seth Godin action figure
• Sammy stress ball

Your Workspace:

I'd love to hear about your workspace – traditional office, home office, bedroom setup, or elsewhere? What are your essential tools? Share your insights!

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