To make a long story short, I really started stressing out this week about my Portfolio final. The reason is because I just haven't been able to come up with a concept that I'm happy with. I spent many hours working in different places: at home, at my school library, at my neighborhood library, in the student work room at school... But I wasn't very productive in any of these locations. I don't know if anyone can relate, but once I have an unproductive experience working somewhere, I don't like to work there again because I've already associated it with being unproductive :p.
Anyway, so I just wasn't moving forward with this project and it got to the point where my last thoughts before going to bed and first thoughts after waking up were all about this project. And then I had a frustrating Typography class this morning. I just felt like it was a waste of time because the teacher was correcting people's work individually while everyone else just waited on him. I felt like I could have been using that time to work on this other project! I was also getting annoyed because people around me were all on facebook and youtube and just being loud!!
So after two and a half long hours, I was not in a very good mood. I knew that I had to crack down and do some hardcore work but I really wasn't in the right state of mind. I thought about going to the library but decided against it because the last time I was there it just wasn't the right kind of working environment. I thought about going to the student work room but that didn't have the right atmosphere either. Then I remembered seeing a public library at La Rambla closeby so I walked there only to find that it was closed and wouldn't be opening for another hour. And I knew going back home was not a good option for getting work done.
I was getting really frustrated, and feeling like the clock was ticking. I really had to work but I didn't know where or how! I didn't know what to do or where to go so I just walked to the port to sit down and take a breath. And then I prayed. I prayed for encouragement and motivation to move forward with my final. I prayed that I might be able to find a place to work. But mostly I just prayed for some peace in my heart so that I might be able to be productive and ease some of my stress. After sitting for awhile I decided to walk into the Maremagnum, which is the name of a mall at the port. I remembered seeing some open cafe tables there and I thought that even though it was kind of loud, I'd look around for a place to work. But instead of walking in where I normally enter, I decided to take the escalator on the side. I rode up and found a Starbucks which I hadn't seen before. Then when I went in, I discovered that it had a second floor filled with couches and tables... the perfect and exact type of working environment I was looking for and needed so desperately :). And what's more, there was a whole wall of windows overlooking the ocean.
I ended up having a very productive afternoon. I stayed in that Starbucks from around 3:30-9:30pm and I'm relieved to say that I finally have a concept to move forward with. What can I say - God is good!! I had been to the Maremagnum several times before but I had never seen this Starbucks before. Ever since I discovered the port, I've loved going there. It is just so beautiful. I'm hoping that this will be my new study-spot for the next 3 weeks. It's close enough to school but far enough so that I can be removed from the sometimes stressful school environment.
I wish I had some pictures of the port/Maremagnum during the day time, but the ones at night are beautiful too :).
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