Freelancing, it's a conspicuous pursuit. Camel leather bag over one shoulder, travelling the tube on an off-peak ticket, searching out stylish places to sit that offer WiFi and a desk for the cost of a single coffee.
Why do we do this? Why do we leave the comfort of the sofa to spend an afternoon trying to avoid listening to other people's conversations about their new business venture (www.cottonbuds.com) or their failed attempt at an affair?
For one reason, working from home loses it's charm after a while. Rolling out of bed straight onto the sofa, you begin to doubt whether sunlight, teeth cleaning, or clothes are actually necessary. Open the curtains? Why bother. I'll be closing them again in 8 hours time. However, once the prospect of visiting the Post Office or popping out for milk becomes exciting, it's time to open the door and leave the stale air of the home 'office'.
The other reason is a need to make freelancing actually seem like work.
Really? Someone is paying me to sit at my desk in joggers? It just doesn't feel right - it just doesn't feel like work. Call it institutionalisation, but without the hum of the train on the tracks and the scrum at the ticket barrier, the working day hasn't begun or, indeed, ended.
So places like The Hoxton Holborn are Mecca for us freelancers. Sat on a chair we could never afford, reading BBC News on a vintage MacBook, all the time coveting the seats nearer a power socket and further from the drafty door.
With a half-drunk cup of coffee gradually cooling for an hour or two, the rent is paid and the staff will ignore you. It's time to switch on Spotify and see what delights Facebook has to offer, making sure you leave well before rush-hour, of course.
The Hoxton Holborn is on High Holborn, about a minutes walk from the tube.
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Images: The Hoxton, Holborn.
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