Here's a quiz for you: Is the above picture AI or real?

Don't scroll until you've made a decision 😃
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It's very much real. As I've mentioned before, I've made a bunch of FocusMate [FM] friends over the years.

The above pic is that of Domenica's workspace, yet another FM friend of mine.

Domenica Tootell is a sewing educator and creator from Australia. Through her Easy Sewing for Beginners YouTube channel, website, and podcast, she teaches thousands of beginners how to start their sewing journey.

The very first time we connected on FM, I found her workspace stunning. So vibrant, tidy, energetic and...happy!

There's a lot going on in this picture.

The work table in the foreground - pink fabric laid out, a bright red (I wonder if she selected the iron for its color!). Rolls of fabric along the right wall, sorted by color from end to end. And two large lights set up on either side of her desk - she probably records her YouTube tutorials in this very room.

And that YouTube silver plaque on the shelf in the background.

Only someone who adores what she does, would maintain their workspace this way.

On our 5th or 6th session, I asked if I could take a screenshot of her workspace.

I've looked at that screenshot many times since. And every time, it reminds me of the same things:

Joy

When you step into a workspace like that, I'd imagine it's hard not to feel elated. It's almost like the workspace invites you into a happy state. If you didn't feel great earlier, you're now feeling upbeat again.

High standards

Have you heard of the "Broken Window" principle? You're cruising along, showing up every day, building new things - everything is hunky-dory. But you realize you're too close to a deadline, and you start getting to work as soon as you enter your workspace each morning - rather than investing a few minutes in cleaning it up, decluttering it, making it pristine again.

You may hit the deadline, but over time, if the workspace starts to degrade, your work may too. The environment we create for ourselves determines our habits.

But a great workspace? It's hard to do sloppy work when you're surrounded by an inspiring environment.

Gratitude

When we love our workspace so much, it's hard not to feel lucky that we get to enjoy it day after day.

Craftsmanship

I'm reminded of something Steve Jobs did when the Macintosh was finally finished. He called the entire team together - all 45 engineers - and said: "Real artists sign their work."

He produced a sheet of drafting paper and had every one of them sign their name. Those signatures were then engraved inside the case of every Mac that ever shipped.

No customer would ever see them. But the team knew they were there - just as they knew the circuit board inside had been laid out as elegantly as possible.

Jobs had said it plainly to his engineers earlier: "I'm gonna see it! I want it to be as beautiful as possible, even if it's inside the box. A great carpenter isn't going to use lousy wood for the back of a cabinet, even though nobody's going to see it."

My Guru Mahatria says it best:

The workspace isn't separate from the work. It's where the attitude gets formed.

My own workspace

I don't think Domenica realizes how much she inspires me.

To pull my own socks up and improve my own workspaces - so I can feel energized the moment I step into them.

I've been putting this off for a while, but I couldn't hit send on this post before making my own workspace better.

Here's a pic of my own physical workspace:

Until last week, it was much less inviting. It was cluttered and dusty.

But I used this post as a forcing function to get it cleaned up 😃

The digital workspace

My digital workspace is a different story.

Code. Plans for each project. User feedback. Notes from meetings. Marketing thoughts. Legal drafts. The list goes on.

Having all of that isn't the problem - I need it all. The problem is that there's a lot of room to organize it better.

Looking at Domenica's workspace, I now feel the gap more acutely.

But the same principle applies. The attitude I bring to my digital workspace will show up in the quality of what I build. It will take longer to clean up than the physical one - but that's the next thing on my plate.

Onward.

PS: Two missed posts in the last few weeks - my own broken windows. The first had a white paper to show for it. This one got delayed due to a last-minute sprint to ship Spark's first pilot. I'm hitting send now…before the broken windows multiply.

PPS: If you teach on Zoom, your recordings are the raw material. Spark turns them into a course your students will actually want to explore. Reply and I'll set you up.