Attention Seeking Disorder

"Who, moi?!" - Trouble, aka The Bubble

As a life-long companion to cats, I have observed their attraction to sitting on newspaper on occasions too numerous to calculate; particularly if their human is reading one in bed. I had always thought it was the satisfyingly crunchy texture, the amusing rustling noises, the nest-y quality, and the fact that, should they deign, they could shred it into confetti on a moment's whim. There is also their predilection for mat-like surfaces and desire to be the monarch of anything new to enter the home.

But no, now that I read my newspapers online, I have discovered that there is nothing they like more these days than to try to lie on my keyboard. The purpose of the exercise is something else entirely after all.

Working from home: the unexpected pitfalls

Contrary to popular belief, working from home does not make you immune to common office issues.

There is still a queue for the toilet:

If you turn your back for a minute someone tries to move in on your desk space:

And someone else is always, always, using the coffee machine when you are dying for a caffeine hit:

That said, with my seven weeks sick leave shortly coming to an end, this time off from work has shown me that I could get very used to the freelancer/work from home lifestyle. Because when I say "had time off", I should qualify that by saying I spent about one week of this time finishing up editing a 96 page exhibition catalogue for work, I assessed some grant applications, I set up this blog, and I set up an Etsy shop. If I tell you that to me these were fun things, well that might just give you a better idea of who I am as a person. However, it was just enough work-like activity to make me realise that this is a way of working that suits me. It also suits the career direction I want to move in, and supports me to take care of my health the way I am going to have to from now on.

I'm not about to rush out and quit my day job just yet, this girl's got responsibilities y'know - to the company, to my project partners and co-workers, and to my personal finances. But a seed has been planted, and as the cogs keep turning to effect the BIG change that's a'coming, my little brain is ticking over too, beginning to work out ways to make this my work-a-day reality in the mid-term future. I will keep you posted as I make that transition, but I'm guessing already that it would be naive to expect my future co-workers to pitch in for their fair share of the milk.