Office Space: Why Work Alone When You Can Cowork Together?
Another view of those who work outside an office and the perils of freelance writing.
In my new coworking space, the prehistoric printing press has been replaced by 30 or so well dressed geeks; designers, software engineers, and entrepreneurs with start-up dreams twinkling in their eyes — like Joey Jelinek, 26, who wears a bandanna every day until he launches his company, “Chimpdig.” There is also a built-in cafe, an array of desks and plush arm chairs, and a break room, home to the perpetually empty coffee pot.
If you haven’t guessed by now, I am a freelance writer. I just turned 28. And I may be clinically insane.
I decided to join one of the world’s 1,779-and-counting coworking spaces because I’m banking on the research: positive impacts on income, productivity, business network, and private life, as well as the fortunes of serendipity, have all been well documented as coworking has grown — almost doubling each year over the past seven years.
Recently, a successful artist reminisced that “freelance” is synonymous with “unemployed.” I bristled. This isn’t true — I have tons of work. Work is not the problem. The problem is deeper and much more grave.
More: Office Space: Why Work Alone When You Can Cowork Together?