10am. Driveway.
“Hi [interviewee], I’m outside. Can you open the gate?”
“Oh Shit! I thought the interview was at 11. I haven’t showered or anything… Umm…”
(Presses buzzer) “No worries, I can come back at 11. There’ll be a coffee shop close by I can work at for an hour, I’m sure of it.” (releases buzzer. Confident).
This is us. Writers. We chop we change we cut we add – and we lurk at coffee shops.
Writers have a secret skill. One that is only learned on the job. We have superpowers when it comes to finding coffee shops. The beauty of our work is that it can be done anywhere – and we’re always able to be productive in random hour gaps. We will make the work happen, no matter where we are. As long as there’s coffee.
And so we seek The Coffee Shop. For its encouragement of imagination at the windows, or the plug points; for it’s refreshments on demand all day; for its strange and superbly crafted customer characters, that are all walking their own stories, and for the exploitation of their Wifi (most times).
Truth is, you can’t work at just any place. It needs to be the right place. The atmosphere needs to be humming not buzzing. The coffee needs to be brewing not burning. There needs to be a window – the right kind of window (high maintenance, we know, but trust us!).
So just how do we writers master the Coffee Shop Hop? Oh, so many ways. But here are a few that promise any coffee-shop scouter the right hit of inspiration, and acceleration.
- Tune in to your intuition
When choosing your work spot, take a moment to really consider what your heart wants, and what the outcome of your work session needs to be. Are you just sending some big ass emails or are you crafting a piece of article or poem or proposal that needs pure focus? While the immediate logical go-to might be a Starbucks or VidaE café (still a good choice), your intuition might guide you to that humble and quiet little pizza place down the road that ‘aint much of a coffee shop but has secretly good coffee. Take a little extra time before bowing to the Google random search, to find those off-the-beaten track places around your frequented areas, and store them in a go-to bank. It’s astounding what we miss in our hurried and busy days, especially when you’re driving a lot, so make an effort to be observant of your surroundings; because you can count on discovering an inspiring hole in the wall, that you never realised was right in front of you. This is how we’ve discovered hidden vintage tea gardens and secret daytime jazz clubs #TrueStory #JustSaying.
2. Stay away from the crowds
If “Shut the hell up, I’m working,” is a common eye-rolling incident for you, then your best work spot will be away from the buzz. Timing can be everything, so try and plan your visit for when you know it might be a little quieter (Google can help you with this by detailing a place’s busiest times). You may have to make a sacrifice here and there in the name of peace- is the slightly better coffee at one place really worth the risk of losing focus due to noise, queues or that woman stirring her hot chocolate unreasonably loudly every ten seconds?
3. Saving sense
The only drawback to the coffee shop lifestyle is that it can cost money. However, there are plenty of ways to be savvy about this. Become a loyal regular to a spot that you love which offers a rewards system so you can get some free or discounted coffees. Also try find a place which has a bottomless option so you can keep the caffeine flowing freely. If you don’t want to spend on eating food make sure you’ve eaten at home before your coffee shop sit down.
4. Meet in the right setting
Ambiance plays a big role in meetings. Whether you’re interviewing, selling, or stategising; a coffee shop is often a better option than the office. This setting has a way of taking the edge off and accommodating a better connection with your colleages, partners or clients and makes the meeting an enjoyable experience.
Opting the coffee shop as an in-between work haunt is a must for all creatives, and even the corporates who need a break from fluorescent lighting. The writing life is synonymous with the living life, and by this token, we’re proud to say we are, irrevocably, coffee shop addicts – and we’re #notsorry.
Room 206’s favourite writing spots in Johannesburg 2019, after years and years of coffee shop hopping are: