The power of an inspiring space
The inspiring hotel lobby one mile from my house
I've been working on a huge, creative project I really need to make a lot of momentum on—and quickly.
When I started it, I imagined I would work on it mostly in my home office, which I specifically designed to jumpstart my creativity. I’ve been intentional about doing as much of this project as possible in this room so that as soon as I walk in, my brain is primed for inspiration, and I can get into creative flow faster.
For the most part, this has worked out great. It’s my happy place, and I genuinely love spending time in my office. I’ve also gotten so much done in there.
But lately, my flow has been harder and harder to find. I’ve been feeling like my office has lost some of its mojo for me.
Before I had my current office, my cure for creative slumps was to switch up my surroundings. I would pack up my laptop and head to my favorite local coffee shop to work until I’d found my groove again.
But the thing is that I travel so often that working outside of my house is sometimes more common than working at home. So, when I’m home, I want to be home. I really treasure my time here. That’s the whole reason I wanted to make my office as inspiring as possible: I figured that once I could just walk down the hall to my dream workspace, I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else any time I was home.
My cozy office
That is, until my most recent creative slump.
Two months ago, when I found my creativity lacking, I happened to have just had a conversation with a neighbor about a new hotel nearby. She told me about it because her friends had been there and said it was a really cool space, and she knows I’m always looking for places to recommend to people to stay when they’re in town for my speaking retreats.
I looked it up online to check out the vibe, and immediately, I fell in love with what I saw. It looked like exactly the kind of place I love working in when I’m on the road: a little moody, a little eclectic, and a lot cozy. Perfect for igniting my creativity.
If working in hotel lobbies sounds strange to you, you should know that they’re actually my favorite places to work when I’m traveling. I'm attracted to hotels that have inspiring spaces, and I usually pick where I stay based on the lobby and the vibe. If I have a lot of work to do while I’m staying somewhere for an event, I’ll head down to the lobby and have a little work party date with myself.
I felt like this new hotel totally matched my vibe. If it were in another city, I would absolutely want to stay there.
I called the hotel, told them I was local, and asked if they’d mind if I hung out and worked in their lobby for a day. They were so welcoming and told me I could come anytime.
Right then and there, I blocked off a day in the near future to do just that.
Within five seconds of arriving at this hotel, I said to myself, “I'm so glad I'm here.” It’s such a great, quiet space, and definitely a hidden Houston gem (that I kind of hope will stay hidden, at least for now). That day, I only saw two other people in the lobby, and one of them was there to work, just like me. We actually ended up chatting, and I made a new friend!
I stayed there from 11 in the morning to about six at night. It was perfect: The hotel had amazing coffee as well as a restaurant, so I had all my meals there. That was especially great because I was so in flow, and it would’ve tripped me up if I’d had to stop and go somewhere else to eat.
That day, I made quadruple the amount of progress on my project than I normally would. I left feeling so inspired, so proud, and like I got my mojo back. It’s absolutely a place I’ll continue to work in and enjoy. And since that day, I’ve also stayed at this hotel overnight: I booked a last-minute staycation/creative retreat there a few weeks ago, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.
The thing is that this place that totally reignited my inspiration is just one mile from my house, and I didn’t even know it. I’d spent all this time in my office, missing my creative flow, when the whole time, there was a place just down the road that unlocked it for me.
I wanted to share this as a reminder of how important it is to do something to break out of your natural routines and rhythms every now and then. To stay creative and inspired, we need variety and new experiences, and sometimes, all it takes is changing our surroundings.
Since that first great day in this hotel lobby, I’ve had many more great, creative days, both in that lobby and back at my home office. My takeaway here isn’t that I can now only work outside of my house; it’s that when I have a moment in the future when my creativity flags again, I know just where to go to get reinspired. Maybe there’s a place like that for you, too. What could be right under your nose that you don't even realize is there?
If you find yourself in a slump, what could an inspiring switch-up look like for you? How might you change your space? It doesn't have to be a hotel lobby, of course. Think about a place you could go that helps you connect with yourself, do your best work, or make momentum on something that matters to you. Changing your environment for even just a couple of hours could reignite that part of you. Hit “reply” and tell me about a space that lights you up!
Here's to many more memories in these special places of mine. Cheers to finding yours!
Big hugs,
