Most professional freelancers take advantage of their freedom from being chained to a desk in an office somewhere by working remotely from a variety of locations. Your average freelance writer certainly has some sort of home base. A home office tucked away on the lower level of the house serves as my “corporate headquarters.”
That being said, it seems that the more professional writers I meet, the more I come to realize that writers drink coffee… lots of coffee.
In fact, some might say that the sign of one’s freelance writing potential is how much coffee one drinks, and in what way. Tons of people pound down cups of coffee first thing in the morning, and just as many continue drinking away hot, bold, caffeine infused, black water, through much of the morning hours. But, a sign of powerful potential as a freelance writer, is drinking coffee past noon, WAY past noon. Freelancing ready professionals drink coffee until that time of day where they cross that biological line in the sand separating the difference between consequence free coffee drinking, and the inability to fall asleep.
There are many theories on why writers, and freelance writers in particular, are big coffee drinkers. Some postulate that it gives us an excuse to hang out in comfortable couches, booths, and tables at a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops across the country, not as unwelcome leeches, but as paying customers. I, myself, spend half of my working hours in a Starbucks, or the like.
I was surprised to find out that “the red cup” would be back at Starbucks, according to a Facebook wall post, and subsequent Twitter tweet. It’s not that I thought the red cup would not be back, it’s that I don’t remember ever noticing or caring that my coffee cup was red.
Don’t get me wrong, I am well aware that Starbucks’ cups change color, text, and even size from time to time, I just never cared that they did so, other than the occasional, “Hmmm, different cup.”
This message from corporate Starbucks suggests that not only are some people very much aware at the ongoing changes made to the paper cups, but that they care enough to care about whether certain cup designs will make another appearance.
Who are these people who are so aware of the graphic qualities of a Starbucks cup?
Ah, yes. Of course. Must be the freelance designers at the tables away from the windows, where there is less glare 🙂