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5 Steps to Creating an Inspiring Writing Workspace: A Peek into the Studies of Famous Writers

Published December 28, 2015 | Last Updated August 12, 2016 By Nicole Bianchi 25 Comments

Does your writing workspace inspire you?

Is it a tranquil and comfortable place where you can shut out all distractions? A private laboratory to experiment with new ideas and plan out new projects?

The other day I was looking through the photos of the workplaces of a number of famous authors. They were all unique: some were large and sprawling while others were cramped and disorderly.

But all of them shared five important characteristics that seemed essential when creating an inspiring workspace. Read on to discover these five important traits and how you too can create your own writing laboratory.

[Read more…]

How to Have an Unforgettable Night at the Metropolitan Opera

Published October 27, 2015 | Last Updated December 28, 2015 By Nicole Bianchi 2 Comments

Photo Credit: Jonathan Tichler/Met Opera

Two exciting things happened in New York this past Wednesday: the Mets won the National League pennant, and I saw my first performance at the Metropolitan Opera. Yes, that’s right. I missed seeing the Mets claim their first World Series spot in fifteen years, but it was worth it. Puccini’s Tosca was absolutely breathtaking. [Read more…]

5 Steps to Escaping the Trap of Perfectionism

Published August 20, 2015 | Last Updated September 14, 2015 By Nicole Bianchi 2 Comments

still-life-851328_1280 — (Photo from Pixabay)

Recently, I have started listening to podcasts rather than music while working out. I have found this to be a wonderful way to take full advantage of those thirty minutes and learn something new. Though I’ve only listened to a handful of episodes so far, I have been greatly enjoying Michael Hyatt’s weekly podcast This is Your Life. It may all be down to his excellent episode on perfectionism that has completely transformed the way I have been approaching various projects. [Read more…]

John Singer Sargent’s Friends at the Met

Published August 15, 2015 | Last Updated October 22, 2015 By Nicole Bianchi Leave a Comment

MET_-_The_Great_Hall_-_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art,_New_York,_NY,_USA_-_2012 — (Photo by wiki)

Several weeks ago my friend Rebecca and I were caught in a rainstorm while strolling through Central Park. Naturally, we made a mad dash for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We had no umbrellas and so arrived soaking wet, but we were not the least bit disappointed by this unexpected turn our day had taken. No matter how many times I visit the museum, those wide echoing halls and long corridors always hold something new to see.

On this particular afternoon, Rebecca and I headed to a special exhibit on the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925). He is known as the leading portrait painter of his generation, producing some 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors in his lifetime. The exhibit in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery in London displayed just 90 of them: gallery after gallery of some of the wealthiest and most brilliant minds of the Edwardian era. [Read more…]

Why I Wear Orange Glasses at Night

Published August 7, 2015 | Last Updated November 25, 2016 By Nicole Bianchi 4 Comments

For the past several weeks, I’ve been donning a pair of funky, orange-tinted glasses while using my computer in the evening. This is far from a fashion statement, even if they do make me look like a hipster-wannabe.

Rather, I am wearing the glasses to prevent eyestrain and to help me sleep better at night.

Here’s how sleep works: during the day, the pineal gland in the brain is inactive. However, as the day grows darker and night falls, the pineal gland is activated.

It begins secreting the sleep-hormone melatonin into the blood. That’s what makes us begin to feel tired and want to head to bed. Computers, smartphones, and similar electronics, however, emit a blue light that disrupts this entire process.

When these electronics are used at night, they trick the brain into thinking it is daytime. Subsequently, melatonin production is slowed which makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Enter orange glasses.

Their orange tint helps protect the eyes by effectively blocking this blue light. [Read more…]