The coffee shop – from the early morning kick in the ass, to enabling all-day virtual meeting rooms around the world – for better or worse, coffee shops are our new social drugstore.

Strange topic to chat about here on ‘A New Life’ you might ask? Well, I can honestly say that I’ve gotten my best creative and ultra-productive work done at coffee shops. Naturally the only diving done at coffee shops is into a 2000 calorie packed pastry – which in my opinion is much more dangerous than the other diving that consumes the rest of my time. So, what goes on at these coffee shops around Southern New England? Well, a lot of writing – grant proposals, grant reports, technical papers, popular articles, training materials, business plans, books, and of course these Blog posts.

So, why the coffee shop? Well, at home I end up paralyzed by home type things – cleaning, tv, tinkering with equipment, cooking, grazing in the fridge – for me, all control and focus is lost at home. I need to embark on a mission…laptop strewn across my back, I march down to any number of coffee shops, dial in to some solid wifi, crank up the tunes, and dive in (mostly to work, though at times into those 2000 calorie death treats – I admit it).

What’s interesting is that coffee shops have evolved as mini communal and social epicenters…this is where the action is – from student projects, to business meetings, to folks literally working internationally via their virtual ‘office’. Coffee shops have both evolved in response to changing modes of doing business, and in many cases have served to promote this new way of life. Gone are the days of sitting behind a desk – in many cases, we can be at least as productive, if not more productive, in this comfortable, hip, caffeine fueled environment.

A few years ago, I discovered Blue State Coffee, nestled in to the heart of Providence’s East Side, in close to Brown University and RISD. Great energy, a healthy and productive environment, and encouraging a sustainable existence here on Planet Earth. My blue state of mind has been nurtured there, and I’ve written some of my best work sitting there right until close.

Today, while I sit near the window staring at a gorgeous June day, wishing I was out on and underwater, I am secure in knowing that what I’m up to now is equally important, and in time, this blue state of mind will infiltrate the masses.

Drink up!