Hello and welcome to another edition of Workspaces! Do you have a setup that you’d like to share with ~7,000 readers? Reply to this email and introduce yourself!

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Ryan (@rjgilbert)

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Lexi, aka “Bel”, is a content creator primarily focused on Instagram and Twitch.

She uses Instagram as a side hustle and creative outlet and has been streaming on twitch for nearly a year now (currently on a brief hiatus but returning soon).

She has two daily workspaces including her streaming/gaming PC desk setup (her main space) as well as her laptop, which she uses to work all over her apartment with. She tends to split her two types of "work" between these two computers (the PC for streaming and the laptop for her other content creation and copywriting).

Inside Lexi’s Workspace

The gaming/streaming PC setup:

• IKEA LILLÅSEN desk

• vintage cesca cane chair with a sheepskin pad

• dual monitor setup for streaming (a Samsung 27" curved for gaming, and a secondhand Dell mini monitor from ebay for streaming software + monitoring chat)

• the cutest handmade checkerboard "mug rug" from my friend over at sonderugs 

• epomaker sk64 hot swappable mechanical keyboard in pink + green

• logitech pebble mouse in pink rose

• streamdeck mini with pink faceplate 

• apple airpods max in silver

• cow print mousepad from urban outfitters (no longer for sale)

• razer seiren x streaming microphone in quartz pink handed down from the inimitable jillian

• razer kiyo pro webcam also handed down from jillian!

• hay design crates for storing letters and knick knacks 

• nintendo switch with custom pink candied joycons 

• 2022-23 task planner from appointed 

• hinoki fantôme candle from boy smells, one of my favorite scents ever

• Custom Odyss3y Gaming PC in Pink from RGB Custom PC featuring ID-Cooling Pinkflow AIO, "GG" V1 Tech RGB PSU Shroud, and an enhanced video card for streaming. I definitely want to note that this incredible custom pink PC was crowdfunded for me by my incredible, amazing, absolutely unhinged streaming community, who I will forever be indebted to!

The laptop setup:

• Macbook Pro 13-in

• Macbook Pro printed keyboard cover from urban outfitters

• a cute and colorful handmade mug, usually from mimi ceramics

• pivo with tripod (not pictured) for content creation

Tools (for both setups):

• spotify premium (essential! i can't get anything done without my lofi playlists)

• slack (for freelance work)

• asana (for freelance work)

• steam (for gaming)

• streamlabs desktop (for streaming)

• twitch (for streaming)

Q/A ☕️

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

Definitely my new custom gaming PC, which is everything I could have dreamed of in a PC and so much more. I still can't believe that my incredible community of friends on twitch fundraised this PC for me in only a few months! Regardless of where my streaming journey goes, I'll cherish this gift forever––it's truly one of the coolest, nicest things I own. 

How do you spark creativity?

It definitely isn't always easy, huh? To be honest, I struggle with periods of creative block all the time, and I definitely don't hold all the answers in this realm. But I can say that the one thing that has never failed to make me feel better when I'm in a creative slump (or when I'm feeling imposter-syndrome-y) is to just jump into an impromptu stream with my friends and see where it takes me, or hop into a watch party for whatever show we're going nuts over that month. I can't say that it always sparks creativity per se, but it always makes the bad feelings less catastrophic. 

How do you manage work-life balance?

Honestly, having the privilege to work freelance part-time and create content part-time outside of that is how I manage work-life balance! It's an incredibly lucky position to be in, and I never take it for granted. My partner is incredibly supportive, and so are my friends and my little community, which has allowed me to work significantly less than the average American. Ultimately, if I'm being honest, I don't believe that anyone can have a healthy work-life balance while working a 40-hour work week. We need to rethink the work culture we have in this country, prioritize people's health and wellbeing more, pay people living wages, and adjust our expectations of one another to make society a better place. Sorry for getting on my soapbox about it. 

Thanks for reading another edition of Workspaces! If you enjoyed this edition, please consider forwarding it to a friend or family member!

-Ryan (@rjgilbert)