Confession: This post is being written nearly a full month after these experiences, despite the back-dated posting, and this is when I'm glad that I'm not working for anyone else right now, because it's challenging to just keep up with my own creative work in the moment.
This week taught me that searching for serenity in Paris can be as complicated as searching for it in New York City. Living around the Latin Quarter is great for being so close to a wide range of restaurants and being able to walk the lovely bridges over the Seine River on a regular basis, but what I'm finding hard to do here is find a place of serenity for some creative work. Living in the thick of a modern European hub city is fantastic for trying new restaurants and cafes every day, connecting with people in person, collaborating, spontaneous meetups, and doing group work that requires quick synchronicity. What it is not great for is getting headroom, breathing space, and serenity for reflective and deep-think creative work. We're 8 months into this whole life-on-the-road thing, and I find myself craving more creative time and less travel time, while also battling myself about wanting stillness while I'm in a situation where I'm free to explore.
I found a few great spaces to work this week outside of the apartment, but nothing truly ideal within walking distance. Even though we picked a cozy apartment that's great for being close to everything, some of what it lacks is natural light, a desk-height table, and sound insulation. It has a couch and coffee table that I've attempted to work from, and a couple stools that have been my substitute for not having a desk-height table, but the overall space tends to feel more confining and limiting rather than open, contemplative, and creative.
This adventure year is really teaching me more about what I need with regard to personal space in order to feel like I have room to think, write, and create. My ideal creative spaces are often open, airy, spacious, full of light, and have instrumental music just loud enough to drown out other conversations in the room, but not to disrupt inner thought. The cafe spaces pictured above and below both qualify, but lacked availability of outlets and walking proximity.
In order to clear my head of frustration from feeling unable to work or create, I found my joy and inspiration headspace in exploration- discovering some of the lesser known or seen parts of Paris. La Petite Ceinture is one of the places I discovered while waiting for La Poinçon to open for brunch. I noticed an open gate, some stairs, some graffiti... and went down for a deeper look below... later learning that this rail used to run in a circle around the city, and is now being converted to public space for parks and art trails.
The most relaxation I found in the middle of the city was often near the water. Something simple like a breeze through the willow branches overlooking a sunset or sunrise. Ducks bobbing up and down on the water. Watching tour boats float by with the low hum of their large motors. These are the moments when being in the middle of Paris feels serene, still, and at peace.
I thought perhaps I might find serenity in wandering the Beaux-Arts School and Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood, where art is treasured and couture is coveted. Unfortunately the vibes were more of the existential-crisis, who did what, and never-have-enough kind, so I found my serenity in being an outsider and having the ability to leave it all behind at the end of the day.
This week taught me that searching for serenity in Paris can be as complicated as searching for it in New York City. Living around the Latin Quarter is great for being so close to a wide range of restaurants and being able to walk the lovely bridges over the Seine River on a regular basis, but what I'm finding hard to do here is find a place of serenity for some creative work. Living in the thick of a modern European hub city is fantastic for trying new restaurants and cafes every day, connecting with people in person, collaborating, spontaneous meetups, and doing group work that requires quick synchronicity. What it is not great for is getting headroom, breathing space, and serenity for reflective and deep-think creative work. We're 8 months into this whole life-on-the-road thing, and I find myself craving more creative time and less travel time, while also battling myself about wanting stillness while I'm in a situation where I'm free to explore.
I found a few great spaces to work this week outside of the apartment, but nothing truly ideal within walking distance. Even though we picked a cozy apartment that's great for being close to everything, some of what it lacks is natural light, a desk-height table, and sound insulation. It has a couch and coffee table that I've attempted to work from, and a couple stools that have been my substitute for not having a desk-height table, but the overall space tends to feel more confining and limiting rather than open, contemplative, and creative.
This adventure year is really teaching me more about what I need with regard to personal space in order to feel like I have room to think, write, and create. My ideal creative spaces are often open, airy, spacious, full of light, and have instrumental music just loud enough to drown out other conversations in the room, but not to disrupt inner thought. The cafe spaces pictured above and below both qualify, but lacked availability of outlets and walking proximity.
In order to clear my head of frustration from feeling unable to work or create, I found my joy and inspiration headspace in exploration- discovering some of the lesser known or seen parts of Paris. La Petite Ceinture is one of the places I discovered while waiting for La Poinçon to open for brunch. I noticed an open gate, some stairs, some graffiti... and went down for a deeper look below... later learning that this rail used to run in a circle around the city, and is now being converted to public space for parks and art trails.
The most relaxation I found in the middle of the city was often near the water. Something simple like a breeze through the willow branches overlooking a sunset or sunrise. Ducks bobbing up and down on the water. Watching tour boats float by with the low hum of their large motors. These are the moments when being in the middle of Paris feels serene, still, and at peace.
I thought perhaps I might find serenity in wandering the Beaux-Arts School and Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood, where art is treasured and couture is coveted. Unfortunately the vibes were more of the existential-crisis, who did what, and never-have-enough kind, so I found my serenity in being an outsider and having the ability to leave it all behind at the end of the day.
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