i lOve working from home . i lOve being able to take the time to go for a run in the morning . take time to make breakfast . work early & finish early . start late & finish late . as the mood takes me . but . sometimes { just occasionally } you catch yourself asking yourself a question . & . then answering it . & . it's at that point that you know you need to leave the house & seek out another human being to interact with ? yes . i know all you people working from home are nodding your head at this !
there are a few lovely coffee shops that will happily accommodate us home working types { mainly due to the increased revenue we generate with the copious amounts of coffee we drink and smashed avo on toast we consume } . but sometimes you want a little bit more . something more like a cOoperative workspace . something more like
ImpactHub .
the first
hUb opened in lOndon in 2005 & the ideal & the footprint it established continues to be replicated in each of the 81 hUbs now open today . the hUbs provide a collaborative environment where people can work . meet . & . learn . communal desks encourage flexible co-working . there are semi-open spaces for meetings and workshops . & . a secluded library area for quiet thinking and privacy . along with a community kitchen for sharing thoughts and networking over coffee . lunch . & . afternoon tea .
the
brUm hUb opened last year & will shortly be celebrating it's first birthday { with
breakfast & a
bbQ } . housed in the lovely old Walker Building in Digbeth it has the same division of spaces as that first lOndon hUb . light airy shared workspaces encouraging the sharing of ideas and experiences whilst you work . a quieter space in the centre of the hub . a secret hideaway for a little bit of quiet contemplation . & . a coffee shop and kitchen offering tea and coffee through the day as you work . oh . & . if you happen to pop by on a wEdnesday you can join in the
pOt lUck lUnch . or . on a thUrsday it's polite chatter over
tea and scones .
having been meaning to pOp along & take a look for a lOng while . i took advantage of one of the oPen hOuse days they held recently . it was a beautifully sunny day . although i got the impression from the very warm welcome that even if it had been a grey rainy day outside it would still have felt sUnny inside the hUb . there is a real hum of positivity within the building . a very genuine feeling of likeminded people { all be it from different backgrounds and working in different fields } looking for somewhere that they can work . even if it's only once in a while . and meet similar people to chat to . share ideas with . share frustrations with . maybe even collaborate with .
i met & talked to some interesting people . swapped stories on travels to hong kong & japan . chatted about interior design . about websites . about networking . & . pop up restaurants . sat and listened in on conversations about blogging . about etsy . about folksy . and . perhaps more interestingly . i had one of the most productive work days i'd had for a long time . rather than being the distraction i thought it might be . the background noise of chatter & the hum of discussion was actually what i needed in order to focus a little more on the work i was doing .
. have a creAtively hAppy dAy .
