12 months ago when THECUBE coworking space was just an idea, we got in touch with Katy Cowan, who had just set up Creative Boom, so we sent her an email about our idea and the rapport grew from there. We are now seeing the progress of her vision and dedication to the online magazine and has become a staple read amongst creatives.

Creative Boom London was given over to THECUBE, which soon passed it on to Russell Thomas to edit and take it forward, he has one of the most imaginative and killer voice around.

His interview technique shows his dedication to getting the most interesting parts of a persons thought process, making his pieces more like a piece of art than just a write up.

He has some interesting ideas for CBL, including the addition of Anna Lincoln’s screen printed flyers, which look stunning enough to collect.

To link to Creative Boom London follow the link,

Whilst handling many projects at once is good for the brain’s stimuli, it might be a problem for your stress levels, if you don’t know how to handle it.

See Stress as a Positive
Stress is bad for the body and by setting your brain to think about all your great projects as stress it’s giving your work load a negative perspective. After all it’s a great thing to have many opportunities on the go, so the first tip on how to deal with stress is to see it as pressure. According the E-Rejuventation Centre’s Director Sarah McCrum, pressure should be seen as a ‘challenge to conquer a new skill’. For example, if you feeling pressure because of various deadlines, see it as an opportunity to be more succinct in order to reduce workload on each deadline. If you see pressure as an opportunity to rise to challenge, you automatically begin to feel less ’stressed’.

Start the Day Right
Starting the day with a great breakfast and a workout, helps increase dopamine levels in the brain, which automatically releases tension and allows you to think better.  Dopamine also makes you feel positive, which helps focus your thoughts on productive things rather than dwell on ‘what-if’.

Multi-Focus not Multi Task
Whilst its good to have many projects on the go, focusing on one task at a time is best for our concentration. Its about multi-focusing not multi-tasking. For instance, you may focus on 10 projects, ideas, or tasks in one day, but not all at once.

Set Time Intervals
Each person concentration levels can differ even from task to task, so set different time zones for each task. For instance set 30 min to draft a new proposal, 45min to do accounts, 10min to reply to emails, 15min to draft a quote. That way you know that for the next ‘x’ amount of minutes you only have one deadline, nothing else matters. This helps reduce pressure and stress, because you are only thinking in this moment, instead of all the ‘white noise’ inside your head that does cause stress.

Take Regular Breaks
After every significant interval of time take a 10min break, get up from your desk, take a walk, talk to colleagues, stretch, or distract your mind. If you are really feeling pressure, take a deep breath and release slowly. According to Neurologist Jill Bolte-Taylor, each emotion we have only last 90sec. So, let it pass you, keep taking deep slow breathes until you feel relaxed again.

Decide What is a Problem and What is a Symptom
Most of the problems we think we have are hypothetical ‘what-ifs’, so decide what actually is a problem, focus on solution and forget about the ‘white-noise’. By focusing on the solution, you are distracting your brain from stressing on the problem. For instance, you are have a lot of work, low cash flow, and need to market your business. The work load, pressure, and low cash flow can all be symptoms of the bigger problem, which is that you need more business. Therefore focus on finishing the deadlines, then set time out each day to market your business. Find business opportunities that will afford you another team member, this way you fix the cash flow problem, have more time for client work, and be able to take on board someone for marketing. This is terribly simplified, but people drive themselves crazy trying to fix symptoms or dwelling on them instead of making a bee-line for the problem. The minute you focus on solution you are already minimising the problem.

Listen To Music
Music is very powerful, it can make us energised or depressed, so choose upbeat music or classical relaxing music whilst your work.

Celebrate
Every business milestone should be celebrated, this helps keep your mood upbeat. Plus it helps you realise how well you are doing instead of all the things you still have to do.

Be Social
Join a coworking space, isolation with your own thoughts can be debilitating and stressful. Talk to people and bounce ideas, it helps give perspective. Sometimes all it take is for someone to say its not a big deal, it will be fine.

Time to Unwind
Do yoga, relaxation exercises, or go for a walk after work. Your body needs to calm down for you to get a good night’s rest. Being rested makes all the difference to stress levels, so don’t sacrafice or you will feel tired, foggy, and unable to think clear solutions.

There are different schools of thought on concentration and whether its better to have one thing on your plate or several. We believe that having more than one project on the go at once, will actually increase productivity and focus, below are the reasons why.

1. It breaks down established patterns the brain creates when it focuses on one task for too long

2. You obsesses less about the little things as there is less time

3. Make less mistakes as you learn to trust your first instinct again due to having less time to focus on one point

4.  According to an article in the RSA journal, author John Kay says micro-management of goals ‘fails because complex goals are rarely best achieved by detailed planning  based on define and quantifiable objectives.’  Thus focusing on more than one project will allow you to be reactive and let the goals drive themselves.

5. Become better at time management weeding out what is and is not important. Its easy to create thousands of superfluous tasks when focusing on one project, however when your plate is full you soon realise that many of these tasks are simply unnecessary or transferable.

About THECUBE

THECUBE is a coworking space for ideas and enterprise, we have an in-house consultancy called Idea Engineering, which focuses on thought process, rewiring innovation, and creating bespoke business processes. THECUBE also offers workspace, virtual office space, and meeting space hire.

For more information please email Araceli or Marcus info@thecubelondon.com

Simplicity Day is finished for this year and thanks to minimoko it was a success. In first part Harry from minimoko spoke about the power of simplicity and why companies that adopt it  thrive. One of the key advantages is that it eliminates the unnecessary, giving way for clear and usable ideas.

In the second part there were some valuable points raised in regards to creating ideas. De Bono created some practices to help generate ideas, below are a few to consider.

1. Find new ways to see things, turn things upside down.

2. Illimenate the obvious, even to the point of absurdity.

3. Create new pathways of thinking to create more elasticity in your brain.

4. Have a point in the idea generation stage where there is no judgement, just let the flow of ideas go.

5. Create new points of association to break pattern, for example use a random word,colour, or even situation as the starting reference for a brainstorm, if you get stuck.

This is our last internal event, until the 2 of September where will be launching CUBEAGENCY Night, until then have a lovely simple summer.

THECUBE is located in East London and we provide events, talks, coworking space, and virtual offices space services.

It’s actually not just about having a good business address but the right address that matches your business. Certain areas in a city are recognised for certain types of goods, Savile Row for its suits, Bond Street for designer clothes, and Covent Garden for its tourist friendly boutiques and restaurants.

In this same way East London is being recognised for its ideas, this is the place where technology, fashion, design, finance, and creativity converge. Its an incredibly exciting area which is perfect for incubating ideas.

THECUBE provides a perfect address for businesses that are looking to be part of this emerging side of London and capitalise on the trade that is being created.

Our virtual office space services are as follows.

• Virtual Office Space Packages
• £15 per month
• Business address
• Mailbox
• 1 hour meeting space per month
• £25 per month
• Business address
• mail forwarding everyday to any UK address
• 1 hr meeting space per month
• Virtual Office Assistant
• Susan Moore at Moore VA
• Phone answering
• Message Management

This is our first summer and we would like to extend our space to support our local community by starting a Think Tank. The summer is a good time to stop and brainstorm, daydream, and in general take things in, so you are ready to implement in the Autumn.

From now until the 31 August we will be opening our doors and creating Open CUBETHINK.

What is Open CUBETHINK?

1. We are interested in learning about our local neighbourhood and what kind of ideas are floating around, what are people talking about  or interested in, so that is why every FRIDAY is Open CUBETHINK.

2. You can either be thinking of an idea, have one, or just curious about THECUBE.

3. Bring your laptop and your thoughts.

4. You will have access to THECUBE coworking space for FREE ( 10-5pm), so you can drop by at any time.

5. THECUBE will organise a 2 hour Think Tanks ( 2-4pm) session with our members.

6. It will be a good opportunity for the community to know more about what we do and who are members are.

7. The Idea Engineering team will be at hand to go over any ideas or problems you are facing.

8. Get to know other like minded idea creators.

9. Any sector, industry, and experience is welcome as diversity is key to collaboration.

10. Walk away with new contacts and ideas that are ready to implement in the Autumn.

11. CUBERS will get to know local members of the community and build their network.

To Book Your Space, please contact Araceli info@thecubelondon.com or call 02073779279.

- CUBETEAM

THECUBE offers a flexible space to host differen types of meetings and events.

Boardroom Meeting Hire
Our Spacious boardroom offers a space to concentrate and deliver great business meetings.
£12/£20 hr

Brainstorm Meeting Hire
This meeting room sits 5 people and its for more intimate meetings.
£6/£12 hr

Seminar Meeting Hire
Perfect for seminars, screenings, workshops can sit up to 30 people
£18/32 hr

Gallery Evening Space
Showcases, networking events, private views, etc. space also has use of a lovely courtyard. up to 150 people standing.
£45/£55 hr

All of our spaces are available to hire by the hour and they are per room. They include all AV equipment, tea/coffee, projector, screen.

THECUBE coworking space is located at Studio 5, 155 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ. Nearest tubes station is liverpool street.

Monday 12th July 2010
18:00-21:00

minimoko, the design and innovation studio that loves simplicity, invites you to celebrate Simplicity Day with us! Simplicity Day is the event to discuss how simplicity affects our daily lives and how we can innovate by simplifying.

The event will begin with a talk on Simplicity from minimoko, and will continue with a Simplicity & Innovation workshop led by Stuart Scott, a De Bono Certified Master Trainer. We will close the event with food and drinks.

Book your place for the workshop NOW as there are only 24 spaces available. All registered users will be entered in a drawing for a fundamental book on Simplicity.

THECUBE is a coworking space for ideas and enterprise.

Location:
THECUBE
155 Commercial Street
E1 6BJ

Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street Station

THECUBE coworking space was founded in September 2009 to provide a space for would be entrepreneurs, idea makers and freelancers. We started with just providing a space, but we now have a fuller vision and below are our beliefs.

1. We believe in diversity, it is the foundation of innovative collaboration.
2. We believe in providing our local community with a space that will support it and provide it with the resources to expand their economic platform.
3. We believe that every great idea should be followed through to implementation and provide an economy.
4. We believe that creativity is the process used to get from idea to innovation. It is not an industry or a personality.
5. We believe in fair pricing to include anyone that wants to start an idea.
6. We believe providing a space that conduces concentration and productivity.
7. We believe in providing a bridge between The City and the creative market of East London.
8. We believe that ideas should be shared and implemented
9. We believe that ideas will be the economic future.
10. We believe in sharing skills, resources, and knowledge.
11. We believe that Observation + Imagination = Enterprise.
12. We believe that a community of minds sustains enterprise.

THECUBE coworking space provides resources, events, connection, virtual office space, and meeting space hire. To learn more or to join the community please send us an email info@thecubelondon.com.

Coworking at THECUBE is affordable. flexible, and straight forward. Potential members to THECUBE have a choice of 5 main tiers from which to design the most suitable work-plan.

Who is at THECUBE?
THECUBE members are curious, innovative, and driven by need to create great ideas. We believe in diversity and have attracted entrepreneurs and idea makers from across all different industries. We have film makers, PR firms, financial consultants, accountants, printers, architects, fashion, creative agencies, software developers, web developers, and graphic designers.

Why Join  THECUBE?
There are many reasons, the more practical being that you need a place that will conduce concentration and productivity, a place to meet with clients, or place to showcase your work, and then there the more qualitative reasons like meeting future collaborators, clients or finding a source of inspiration, or shooting the breeze with like minded people.
In general people like coming to THECUBE, because it helps keep positivity up. Being social and being around like minded people raises dopamine levels, which means that ideas are easier to create and implement.

What is like to have office space at THECUBE?
People always comment about how relaxed the space is, we are all here to achieve goals, however the minimalistic design calms people, which means they are able to concentrate a lot more.
Since we have people from across different industries and different age groups, everyone is quit curious to learn from each other, so it feels more like a collaborative space than a rigid office space.

Other Serives at THECUBE

THECUBE also offers virtual office services, meeting room hire, boardroom hire, gallery space, and in house consultancy firm called Idea Engineering
If you would like to join our community, curious about what are about, or have an idea you want to run past someone, give us a call 0207 3779279 or email Araceli info@thecubelondon.com