journalism co-working

Today is my first day in the Oregon News Incubator’s trial co-working space, per our month-long agreement with The Sentinel.

I’ve never before worked in the same physical space as my editor, and it’s nice (and a lot faster) to ask questions and get feedback face-to-face. I am used to working with dogs in the office, but today my companion is Izzie — belonging to The Sentinel’s publisher. She’s a very sweet and curious dog; I’ve already had to run up and down the street looking for her when she ducked out the open door following her nose on a grand North Portland adventure. (Luckily, she was just around the corner on Interstate, sniffing at a pole.)

We’ve vacillated between two and four people in the office today, and it’s much less distracting than I’d thought it would be — although I did warn my nearest office mate that after years of working solo, I’ve developed a tendency of talking to my computer on occasion.

I like the interaction — being able to ask someone else about WiFi speeds and Skype drop-outs, and loaning out my iPod cable — and the presence of others has forced me to be more productive. Sure, I prefer the commute across 12-feet of carpet to 20-30 minutes on the highway (or more than an hour on public transit), but I’m liking this co-working thing thus far.

I’m looking forward to more similar success from the Oregon News Incubator project and hope other members find this space to be as useful.

I’d write more…. but I want to get back to work.