What is your workplace now?

Where and how I work

I currently work from home.

I just use a corner where I can write posts and comments on Steemit, vote on fellow Steemians’ work, and be active on Steemit, in general.

Although, I haven’t been very active on Steemit so far, I would definitely like to take part in Steemit activities on a more frequent basis in the future.

My workplace is not equipped with any of the so-called state-of-the-art modern devices.

Believe it or not, I have been using the same laptop machine for about a decade now.

Most laptop owners would have changed two or three machines during that time, but I keep on using the same old Lenovo 80FY G40-30.

I have changed its OS from Windows 8.1, which is the factory default, to Linux Mint, which is much lighter, and it has kept running smoothly since. In fact, it runs even better than when I bought it!

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, based on my bad experience in the past, if my Lenovo laptop stops working, I have another, older (!), laptop (an eMachines E525) to replace it with, so I can continue my work on the second laptop. It also runs on Linux.

On many occasions, I have worked from the kitchen table all night, though not on Steemit, but to finish translation and online writing work.

When I suffered from hemorrhoids last Christmas, I couldn’t sit on a chair, and I wrote a couple of posts on my smartphone while in bed.

Another survivor of my online writing and translation venture over the years, is a Table Mate folding table. It has stood the test of time with flying colors, and I can work from literally anywhere on this highly practical folding table.

In general, I strive to keep costs as low as possible.

I have witnessed the rise and fall of many “big names” in the online writing arena, and my initial positive expectations with them proved wrong, when these online writing platforms just went down overnight.

So, I now hold a small basket, and try to do my bit, at least, which is cutting costs down.

Atmosphere of work

Based on the above description of my workplace, which is basically at home, it can feel either lonely or crowded with family, relatives, and friends.

This can be a disadvantage, because, no matter how much a writer wants peace and silence to concentrate, too much of it can actually have the opposite effect. After all, you want to get out at some point, don’t you?

When family is there, although you have the flexibility to talk to them and do things, this will not let you focus on writing as much as you would like.

On top of that, they may not realize that you actually work; they may think that you just spend some time on social media, like they do, etc. They wouldn’t understand how seriously you take creative writing, and where your mind flies at the time.

Am I satisfied with my workplace?

I believe that, in life, if you can’t do anything to change things immediately, at least, you should accept things for the moment, and see if you can do something to improve the situation in the future.

Therefore, I am currently satisfied with what I have as a workplace, because, from a deeply practical perspective, this is what I can afford.

How can I improve my workplace?

There are a lot of things that someone can plan to do, in order to improve things, and this applies to one’s workplace, as well.

However, planning is one thing, and putting it to practice is another.

At some point, I rented an office to use it as workplace for writing and translating texts. Unfortunately, however, no sooner than had I moved in and started working in it, work volume suddenly dropped, as my income did. The Ukraine-Russia war or conflict, or whatever you call it, also happened, which caused energy prices to go through the roof. When my electricity bill came in, I almost had a heart attack; I checked the air-con brand at the office to see if it was made by Lamborghini or Ferrari to justify such a high bill. As a result, I had to move out, because I could not afford it. As simple as that.

I wish I could afford a better, more convenient workplace, such as a dedicated office, and I hope that this dream of mine comes true not very far in the future, and also be long- rather than short-lived.