25
Sep

a place to focus

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Everything that’s worthwhile requires focus.  Focus is hard today, because we have so many things competing for our attention.  Even if we are all alone, standing perfectly still, we know full well that text messages and emails are arriving, urging us to stop what we’re doing and look.  And once we’ve looked we’ve lost something – and that something is focus on the thing we were doing first.

We don’t necessarily see this redirecting of our energy as a negative. Because we live in a world that thrives on interruption, no one is likely to get mad at you for checking your iphone during a conversation.  No one will be surprised if you ask to be excused while you take a call. We’re used to it.  We accept it.  A deeply entrenched part of our culture accepts interruption as part of productivity.  It’s altogether normal to gather with a group of friends and for there to be an array of communication hardware in the form of phones and pads and computers on the coffee table right next to the Pinot Noir and the corn chips and the hummus.

It’s called progress.

There’s another kind of progress, of course.  The kind that takes place only after the electronic devices have been turned off, the doors are shut and the only thing to be heard is the sound of your own heart beating.  These are places where you can focus your energy without disruption.  Places where you can focus are critical to becoming accomplished at the things you are passionate about.

For me, there are three places.

The first is where I focus my passion for ceramics. It’s on the pottery wheel in my studio, where form and function co-exist at 300 rpm. My focus is straight ahead and precision balanced.

 

The second is where I focus my passion for writing.  It’s the living room of the Suite in our B&B.   In the winter, when we are here on the hill alone, I climb the stairs, turn on the heat, pull a blanket over my legs and construct my blog posts and chapters of my book.  This is my writing paradise, made all the more special because it’s not always available to me. I appreciate it so much when I the suite is free for me to use. When it’s possible, I’ve started to book guests who write into the Suite, maybe because I sense that it has good energy to focus on words.

The third is where I focus my passion for innkeeping.  It’s in my kitchen.  This is where I create the breakfasts for my guests, and it’s where  I give cooking classes and entertain friends.  Here’s a cooking class in full swing, with guests from the USA and Germany.

Freshly baked focaccia and fresh fig and pear pastries from this morning’s breakfast.

These are the places where I shut out the noise.

How about you?  Do you have a place where you can focus your energies, your talents and your ambitions?  Is there a room, a corner, a place in the woods where you can shut off the world and open yourself, in a larger sense, to receive?

p.s.  My lovely friends Barrie Davenport and Katie Tallo are starting their second round of The Habit Course with Zen Habits’ Leo Babauta. Forming good habits is the best way to achieve focus on the things that are the most important to you.  Please visit Barrie’s or Katie’s blog for more information.

 

 

 

Written by: Diana Baur on September 25th, 2011 | {40} Comments

Posted in {creativity, innkeeping, inspiration, simplicity}

  • http://www.bazaarbayar.blogspot.com Catherine Bayar

    Words to live by, Diana – love your story too. As much as I can get caught up in the chaotic whirl of the Grand Bazaar and the creative energy of our textile work, my best place to focus is the corner of our living room. There I have a daybed and table, with a view of the sea and a 16thC mosque. Not the most silent of spaces, with Istanbul traffic below and laughing seagulls overhead. But having that view focuses me, perhaps like the potter’s wheel does for you. And I always have a knitting project within reach – another way to center myself. Busy hands leave my mind free to drift until my work, whatever it happens to be, becomes clear.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Well, that sounds no less than amazing!  I love the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, tell us about your shop in there!!!  xo

  • http://twitter.com/caribragazza Arlene

    I think your Terrace Room is a great place to write as well. 

    On Sundays I do a three hour walk to and from Via Appia Antica.  I feel like I’m out in the country.

    Car traffic is banned except for a few buses and people who live out there.  It’s so quiet and peaceful. 

    It’s a good time to collect my thoughts.  If I’m in the middle of a script, I bring pen and paper to write things down.

    This morning I saw sheep in an area where I have never seen them before.  Hard to believe I was only a few minutes away from the Historic Center of Rome.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      I’m glad you feel that way about the Terrace Room.  I have not tried it out for writing yet.  Maybe this winter.

  • http://www.kaarinadillabough.com Kaarina Dillabough

    Oh my goodness, Diana, I can almost taste the fig and pear pastries: my mouth is watering! Some of my favourite places to “connect” and find peace: my gardens, my sunroom and driving country roads…and anywhere where I can take photos…which is just about everywhere! Cheers! Kaarina

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Kaarina, I am having a devil of a time making these pastries and not eating them myself!!! It’s a practice in discipline.  I just taste them to make sure they’re ok.  xoxo

  • Deb

    Wonderful post Diana. I find I need a lot more quiet time lately. The spot where I am most at peace and my mind is always still , calm and focused, is my garden. The scents, the colors…although while stimulating the senses, they prove to have such a profound calming effect on me as well.

    I sit at my kitchen table where I can remain quietly focused on creating my vintage collages..all of my equipment is within close reach . To my left, I have a view of the top huge oak tree. Not so dramatic a view but still calming and peaceful and lovely all the same.

    Your baked focaccia , fresh fig and pear pastries….*sigh*

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      That sounds like a wonderful space.  Being prepared (having the tools close) is an important part of focus.  There’s nothing more frustrating than settling in for a task and then running around and searching for everything. Proper set up is important.  xoxo

  • Jansalerts44

    Hi Diana,

    I absolutely loved this piece, food for the soul on this wonderful Sunday afternoon! Thank you for sharing your insights and great life with us today!

    Jan Gordon
    twitter.com/janlgordon

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Thank you so much Jan!  I am happy to share what I can. 

  • Barrie/Live Bold and Bloom

    Hi Diana,
    What lovely places to focus — so much nicer than a cubicle or desk. Your focus is steeped in creativity. Do you ever do anything dull, like get your tires replaced? I’m sure even that chore is beautiful in Italy! :) Thank you for mentioning The Habit Course — and for your wonderful Case Study that you provided for the course. You are an inspiration.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      You crack me up, Barrie.  I leave tire changing to Micha so that I can continuously whip up new bowls and six- layer cakes (kidding).  Actually, I find some comfort in the mundane, and try to approach it with a sense of ritual.  Doesn’t always work, but that’s why they call it practice, right?  Much love and luck with the Course…  

  • http://www.momentumgathering.com Katie Tallo

    Diana, I love the sound of your writing suite and the rhythms of your pottery studio. It’s wonderful to have created such places in your life. I have my office from which I can look out my two glass doors towards a backyard of sun soaked large maples. It’s my focus place. Thank you for mentioning our course. We’re excited to begin this next journey with our new habit creators and to help them find focus in their lives. xo

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      I am sorry it’s taken me this long to respond to comments.  I hope that the course is packed full of students ready to commit themselves to focus, as well.  Lots of love, Katie. 

  • Mara Rose

    I go to the stable. Horses require our complete focus. Being with my mare, riding & caring for her, is a practice in Mindfulness. There is no Internet or cell phone reception in the barn. There, I find my sanctuary, my cathedral, and peace.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Sounds just about perfect.  I love that.  xo

  • Betsy at zen-mama.com

    Wow!  I share some of your same passions, esp. cooking and writing.  Thanks for the focus shot in arm.  I’m going to try to do that tonight with some writing that I’ve put off. Thanks!

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      I hope you were able to find some focus for your writing, Betsy!  :)  xo

  • http://www.notactuallyahero.com Rob @notactuallyahero

    When I initially started working from home, I knew something was lacking. And you’re absolutely right – a place to focus is absolutely key. 

    I put together a specific workspace. And it was a space to myself that was not to be used by anybody else. I set it up in a way that’s absolutely perfect for me and developed routines (actively) that would make focus a priority.

    My focus isn’t always perfect, but the workspace certainly is.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Well done, Rob.  We don’t need perfect, but we need a place where we can come back to ourselves and remember who we are so we can move forward.  Thank you for coming by.

  • http://www.handsfreemama.com Hands Free Mama

    I love this post. It makes me feel warm and peaceful just imaging you in these settings, free from distractions. 

    My favorite place to write is on a long country road behind my neighborhood where there are no houses. I take a small notebook with me and write outlines of stories and interesting thoughts. With the sunshine on my face and the blue sky above, my creative juices flow and I get absorbed in the moment at hand. 

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Grazie mille for your lovely words.  Thank heavens for country roads.  They can be a life saver, don’t you think?  xo

  • Sue Pownall

    What a perfect post for me… I’ve been unfocused the last few weeks as all energy is spent on other matters, incl FB, twitter blah blah

    I don’t have anything as nice as yours. In my last home I had a table where I had my work & inspirational pictures on the wall. I will make a new niche for my art as soon as settled. In the meantime I sketch in the streets & coffee shops and store finished pieces in my head until I have the space to produce them.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      And what about your place in Italy?  Will there be studio space there, Sue?  One of the things that can be tough about nomadic living is that there is often no dedicated space for creativity, since the priority is just getting a living space.   But I bet there will be a nice niche in that new ancient apartment of yours..xoxo

  • http://twitter.com/AmeenaFalchetto Ameena Falchetto

    How lovely! Wow! I am so envious! I dream of having a space to create a studio but stall because I do have one but my issue is I’d have to paint in it! My life is in a different chapter at the moment, one dictated by naps and clients. I grab my moments when I can and the location has to be irrelevant for the time being. 
    We are going to come visit … what a beautiful picture you paint of your life in Italy! 

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Ameena, it’s an overwhelming picture at times… as you can see by the amount of time it has taken for me to reply to comments.  This will get better as I come out of my fully booked season.    Maybe I can come to Provence and paint your studio!!! THen there will be no excuse :)  But I do understand that you have a priority shift right now that takes your time.  It’s the same with me with my B&B, it forces me to put everything on hold.    I am trying to figure my way around that.  xo

  • Jane Robinson

    My art studio.  No phones, no television, no computer, etc allowed.  Music and art only!   Great site and great post.  Found you on A-list blogger.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Bingo, Jane.  Your space sounds perfect.  Happy creating.  Thank you for coming by. 

  • Turid

    Beautiful Diana. Soulful Diana. 

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      How are you, my darling friend?  I miss you. I hope that things are well. 

  • kim

    I’m definitely enlightened by this, I finally got myself out of my head and am on the first steps of renovating my life in fruitful ways by allowing myself to express myself completely in action and not just in ideas, because though i’ve always known what to do, I haven’t always done the “doing” part ha. So this post creates for wonderful imagery, especially since I can relate to the art, culinary, and writing appeals of this all :D Have a lovely day!

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Kim, I can only urge you to find a physical space for yourself where you can allow your own creative ideas to blossom.  It doesn’t have to be huge or grand.  It just has to be yours. 

  • http://treatmenttalk.org Cathy | Treatment Talk

    I do have a room in my home that I call my own and where I write and sew my quilts. It is a haven for me, but someday I want to have a little studio where I can get away from all the noise, which helps me focus. Just reading your post makes me relax. Beautiful.

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      Thank you for that, Cathy.  Having your own space (your room or your future studio) is a place for calm.  Very, very important for calling the muse forward.

  • Amy

    Every morning I start my day with a walk through the curvy streets of my neighborhood. As I admire the gardens and architecture of the town, I settle my mind and plan what will occur throughout the day. This ritual helps me get clearer faster so wherever I work I feel focused (it’s not a 100% guaranteed method, of course, but it works well most days!). 

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      I think getting out has many benefits.  It gets us out of our heads so we can come back to ourselves with fresh perspectives.

  • http://cobaltviolet.blogspot.com/ Lucinda Keller

    Oy. This is what I have been needing. I start doing something, then the phone rings, I get a text or an email … 
    I love my art classes. I turn the phone off and my computer is miles away. There is a little coffee shop I where I love to study called “Bricks and Scones.” Everyone is studying and they have a great hazelnut croissant.  I used to focus at home, but I don’t know what happened. I think it was after I was sick. I get antsy in here. I need to paint the place and move the furniture. Burning sage wasn’t enough! :)

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      I understand that completely. Lucinda.  Change the space, make it new and yours to reflect your health and beautiful spirit.  It’s worth the effort. 

  • Lucindakeller

    P.S. that fig and pear pastry looks aMAZing!!!

    • http://acertainsimplicity.com Diana Strinati Baur

      thanks, my dear.  It was yummy, or so I heard!!!