Pro tip: The cafe near my office has terrible lighting for writing

I went to this spot called Brew & Bean downtown last Tuesday to work on a short story prompt about a haunted library. The place was packed with people on laptops, but every single table had these harsh overhead LEDs that made it impossible to get in any kind of mood. I spent 45 minutes just squinting at my screen and rewriting the same opening line three times. The barista said they picked the lights because they 'help people stay awake', but it killed any creative vibe I had. Has anyone else found a cafe that actually has good writing atmosphere or am I asking too much?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilyt9013d ago

oh man, that harsh LED thing is the absolute worst for writing, right? i went to this place called The Grind House last week and their lights were like an operating room, i couldn't focus on anything. the vibes were just dead, felt like i was at the DMV instead of trying to get inspired for my story. have you tried finding a spot with dimmer switches or maybe some yellow lamps instead? some cafes get that cozy lighting thing right, but most of them just wanna keep people from falling asleep.

bailey.xena12d ago

Disagree SO much, bright lights actually wake my brain up when I'm trying to write. Dark coffee shops make me want to nap instead of type out my plot. Low light is great for romance novels maybe, but I need that sterile energy to get words down.

evan5112d ago

Honestly, I found this one spot with old lamps near the window, total game changer for focusing.